


Captain and Commander

by yaoichan12



Series: Jim the (Not-So) Virgin [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Family, Gen, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Post Mpreg, Romance, Sexual Content, Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:11:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 30,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoichan12/pseuds/yaoichan12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Jim and Spock can celebrate their sons' first birthday, Nero shows up.  </p><p>Sequel to Jim the (Not So) Virgin</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Twins Are Mobile

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! This was supposed to be just an epilogue, but it got away from me. So it is now a sequel that will not be as long as Jim the Not So Virgin. lol

              Jim cursed as the simulation ended with him failing to beat it.  It was the second time he had attempted the Kobayashi Maru and it was driving him crazy to not have beaten it.  He looked to Uhura and Bones as they gave him a weak smile before leaving the room.  Jim sighed and plopped back down into the command chair.

               _It’s rigged.  It’s ridiculous.  I hate it,_ Jim thought to himself.  He then looked up at the observation area and saw the programmers scurrying around up there.  One programmer was a professor Jim had had his first semester.  Professor Bowden was real asshole. Jim had reprogrammed something of Bowden’s and he had been pissed.  Bowden was sure that Jim had done it but didn’t have the proof.  The professor had also been one of the jerks that had believe his ex, Gary, when rumors had spread that Jim was easy. 

               Jim had politely told Professor Bowden to go fuck himself and hadn’t seen him since. Now, he was smirking down at Jim from the observation area.  Jim almost wanted to give the guy the middle finger but restrained himself.  Jim got up and left the simulation room as Gaila came up to him.

               “That was closer than last time,” she told him.  He nodded and continued to walk to the changing area so he could put his cadet reds back on.

               “You know, you could give me some pointers,” Jim said.  “You are a student programmer on it.”

               “Can’t help. Sorry, Jim,” she replied.

               Jim nodded and changed into his cadet reds as Gaila headed back to her station.  Jim left the building and headed home.  He really wanted to see his boys.

* * *

 

               The boys were almost a year old now and very mobile.  Soren had started walking first at 9 months old and Xander followed right after.  Ever since, the boys had kept Jim and Spock busy by getting into anything and everything that they could reach.

               Jim smiled when he opened the door and heard the scurrying of little feet running around in the living room. He put his bag down by the front door and went in search of his family.  He found Spock sitting on the floor while the boys played near him. The boys spotted him and gave big grins and ran right over.

               “Daddy!” they exclaimed, wrapping their arms around Jim’s legs.

               “Hey boys,” Jim greeted them.  “Did you have a fun with your sa-mehk today?”

               They giggled and then ran back over to the toys to play.  Jim smiled and sat down next to Spock. 

               “You did not beat the test,” Spock stated.

               Jim sighed and nodded, “No shit.”

               “You do not need to beat the test to graduate.  Perhaps you should let it go and move on.”

               Jim sighed and shook his head, “Can’t do that.  Wish I could, but I can’t.”

               “T’hy’la…”

               “One more time, Spock.  I’ll take it just once more and then let it go, okay?”

               Spock turned his head to look at his mate and nodded, “One more time.”

               Jim smiled and leaned closer to kiss Spock lightly on the lips before being hit in the head by a soft stacking block. He turned his head and saw the twins sitting there and giggling.

* * *

 

               "Naked butts," Jim laughed.  "Where are you two going?" 

               Xander and Soren has just gotten out of their baths when they decided to take off running though the apartment.  Jim shook his head and ran after them, finding Xander near the kitchen.  

               "No seepy!" Xander giggled as Jim scooped him up in his arms. 

               "No sleepy, huh?  I think you are sleepy," Jim told him before taking his son to the nursery.  "Spock, did you find Soren?"

               "Negative...no...yes I have located him," Spock called back before Jim heard the scurrying of little feet down the hallway.  Jim turned in time to see Soren's naked butt running past the nursery door.  Jim laughed as Spock quickly walked past, following after the boy. Jim turned back to Xander and put his diaper and pajamas on as Jim heard another giggle then shortly after a 'thunk'.  Soren crying then could be heard. 

 _Did he fall?_ Jim asked his husband through their bond. 

 _Yes,_ Spock replied, coming into the room, holding the crying boy. "He slipped in the living room."

               Jim placed Xander on the ground and took Soren from Spock and cuddled him.  Soren immediately calmed down and then started laughing. Jim chuckled and shook his head, "You two are so silly."

               "Xander," Spock then fussed.  Jim looked and saw the other boy had taken off out of the room again.  Jim sighed as Spock chased after him. 

 _So illogical, aren't they?_ Jim asked. 

_Indeed._

* * *

 

               Jim woke up the next morning alone in bed.  He turned onto his back and stretched his arms above his head and yawned.  He then got up and went to his mate’s study where he found him sitting in the corner of the room with his meditation stuff.  Jim smiled and stood in the doorway until Spock opened his eyes and looked at him.

               “Needed to mediate because of your illogical family?” Jim teasingly asked.

               Spock blew out his meditation candles and then stood up, “I did.  You and the twins are most taxing.”

               Jim chuckled, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Spock.  We’ll try and behave more logically in the future.”

               Jim felt amusement come through their bond as Spock walked over to him and said, “I believe that would be an impossible feat for the three of you to achieve, ashayam.”

               “Yeah, you’re right,” Jim agreed before reaching out to wrap his arms around Spock’s neck. “Are the boys still asleep?”

               “I believe so.”

               “Wanna go back to bed before you have to leave for your class, Professor?”

               Spock stepped closer and backed Jim against the wall, “I would like…”

               Just then they heard a thump and then a little cry come out of the nursery.  Jim groaned and pushed Spock away before quickly going into the boy’s room and finding Soren on the floor crying.

               “Soren,” Jim cooed out, picking his son up and cuddling him.  “You really need to stop climbing out of your crib.”

               Spock came into the room after him and saw Xander in the process of trying to climb out.  He quickly rushed over and caught the boy in time before he fell over the rail. He held his son while Jim gave him an exasperated look. 

               _When is your mom coming into town?_ Jim asked.

               _Eleven point six four days._

_Oh, good._


	2. The Twins Are A Handful

               Spock sat in his office and looked over his notes for his next class. He sat his PADD down as someone requested entrance into this office.  He illogically hoped that it was Jim when he called for the door to open.  It was not Jim, but Professor Bowden, his co-worker who also oversaw the Kobayashi Maru.

               “Commander Spock,” Bowden greeted before taking a seat in front of Spock’s desk.  “I have the data from your…what’s he now? Your husband? Mate?”

               “Husband is acceptable,” Spock replied. 

               Bowden grinned and nodded before handing over a PADD, “Right, well I have your husband’s Kobayashi Maru data from his last attempt. He failed it, again, as you already know.  He also has requested to take it a third time.”

               Spock looked over Jim’s results and commended his mate for his original thinking during the simulation.

               “I approve of Cadet Kirk’s request to take it one last time.  He is showing progress in his attempts, but he is not yet grasping the purpose of the test.”

               Bowden nodded, “Yeah, he sure is stubborn.  You know he once cheated in my class?”

               Spock looked up at his coworker and quirked an eyebrow at the man’s accusation, “Did you bring him before the disciplinary board for academic dishonesty?”

               “Well no.”

               “Did you have any proof that he cheated?”

               “Not exactly, but I know it was him.  He was the only one in the class with the skills to meddle with the test.”

               “If you do not have tangible proof that my husband cheated, then do not accuse him in my presence.  Cadet Kirk is stubborn, yes, but he is a not a cheater.  Perhaps your test was…merely altered so that the students were given a chance to actually pass.”

               Bowden fumed, stood up from his seat and narrowed his eyes at the Vulcan, “Right, well…I have other matters to attend to.  Good day, Commander.”

               Spock stood up as well and offered the man a Vulcan salute as he walked to the door.  When Bowden go to it he turned and grinned, “During his attempts at the Maru simulation I couldn’t help but notice that Jim got his figure back from being pregnant. His pants have always fit snuggly on him…” Bowden then said under his breathe, but Spock heard, “What an ass he has.”  

               Spock made a move towards Bowden but the man quickly left the office. Spock watched his office door slide close.  He clenched his fists and sat down in his chair trying to calm himself. 

* * *

               Jim ate his lunch in the cafeteria as he worked on his PADD.  He was determined to beat the Kobayashi Maru and had an idea of how to do it.  He carefully started writing some code during his first class and was quite focused on it that he didn’t hear Bones sit down across from him at the table.  He did feel when his friend threw a French fry at him.

               Jim sighed and looked up, “I see where Xander gets it from.  He threw a block at me yesterday.”

               Bones chuckled before starting to eat his own lunch.  Jim looked away and typed a few more lines of code before saving his progress and setting the PADD down. 

               “What are the plans for the boy’s first birthday? That’s coming up the next couple of weeks,” Bones asked.

               Jim smiled big and nodded, “I know, jeez…it’s been a year already.  Um…we were thinking about taking them to the zoo and maybe having everyone over later for cake.”

               “That’s sounds like fun,” Uhura said, sitting down next to Jim.  “Are you going to get them each a little cake to devour?”

               “Oh of course.  Their little faces covered in icing and cake…that would be the cutest.”

* * *

 

               Jim noticed Spock was a bit off when he got home that evening.  The nanny was still there with the twins while his mate was hauled up in his study.  Jim dismissed her and then went about getting the boys’ dinner ready.  He tried probing at his link with Spock but the Vulcan was shielding from him. Jim sighed and put the boys in their high chairs before placing their plates of food on the trays in front of them. 

               He made himself a sandwich and sat down next to them and ate.  Occasionally he had to stop the twins from trying to feed each other.  When that happened both boys and sometimes Jim and Spock, ended up covered in baby food.

* * *

 

               Spock came into the kitchen a little while later and saw his family eating dinner.  Jim looked up at him and smiled, reaching his two fingers out to his mate. Spock met the Vulcan kiss and Jim smiled bigger.

               “How was your day?” Jim asked.

               “Adequate.”

               “Adequate? Did you eat anything today? I know you didn’t have breakfast.”

               “I do not require…”

               “Stop.  Sit down, now.”

               Spock opened his mouth to argue but Jim stood up and made him sit down.

               “I’ll make you dinner.  Sit here and make sure your sons eat theirs.”

               Spock watched his mate go make him dinner.  He then looked to their sons and saw that they were trying to feed each other.

               “Food broder,” Xander said, reaching his hand out to his brother.

               “Eat food,” Soren replied, grabbing the food from Xander and then giving his brother some of his food.

               “Xander, Soren, eat your own food,” Spock said, moving their high chairs away from each other.  Jim glanced back to them and chuckled as Xander retaliated by flinging some of his food at Spock.

* * *

 

               “Fuck!” Jim cried out has he gripped the headboard and rode his mate hard.

               Spock growled and gripped Jim’s hips as he thrust up into Jim.  Jim cried out again and bounced up and down on the Vulcan’s hard cock.

               “Spock! Yes! There!” Jim moaned, as Spock’s cock kept ramming his prostate.

               Spock moved a hand to Jim’s erection and gripped it. He moved his hand up and down a few times before Jim reached his climax. Spock held Jim up and thrust a few more times up into Jim’s tight heat before finishing himself.  Jim sighed and carefully got off his mate and plopped down on his back on the bed.

               “That was amazing,” Jim panted, catching his breath.

               “Indeed,” Spock replied, a little out of breath himself. 

               Jim turned his head to the side and looked at his Vulcan, “Feel better?”

               “Pardon?” Spock asked, turning his head to look at Jim.

               “You were a little off this evening.  Were you upset because we were interrupted this morning?”

               Spock shook his head before getting up and disposing of the condom in the bathroom.  He came back to the bedroom and handed Jim a damp wash cloth before putting on his pajamas.

               “We were not interrupted this morning because we did not start to become intimate.  While I enjoy our intimate moments in and sometimes, out, of the bedroom, I do not need sexual release to have a productive day.  You are the one that gets antsy and wound up when we do not engage in sexual relations at least once a day.”

               “We don’t have sex every day and I certainly don’t get antsy when we don’t.”

               Spock looked at his mate and arched a brow.

               Jim chuckled, “Alright, maybe I do, but sex with you is amazing.  If it gets interrupted or something, sure I get a little…”

               “Pouty and horny,” Spock finished.

               “Fine, okay.  That happens.  So, if you weren’t upset about not having sex this morning, then what was up with you earlier?”

               Spock internally sighed and sat down on the bed next to Jim, “I had a confrontation with Professor Bowden earlier and I wished to mediate.”

               “Bowden?  What the fuck did he want?” Jim asked, sitting up and leaning against the head board.

               Spock could not tell his mate that he was involved with the Kobayashi Maru. 

               “Spock?”

               “There was a staff meeting,” Spock said, which was not entirely false.  He and Bowden were staff and they did meet in Spock’s office.  “He made a comment about your figure and how you cheated in his class.”

               “Asshole.  Yeah, he was the professor for that class where I altered the test.  He was so pissed off. Wait, did you say he made a comment about my figure?”

               “He commented that you have a nice ass and that your pants fit snuggly.  I wished to punch him.”

               Jim laughed, “You said snuggly.”

               Spock quirked an eyebrow at him before Jim continued with, “Anyway, yeah, Bowden is an asshole.  You just need to ignore him.  I do.  I wanted to punch him when I finished the simulation.  He was just…smirking at me.”

               “Is that part of the reason you wish to beat the Kobayashi Maru?”

               Jim shook his head, “No, I’ve wanted to beat it long before I knew that Bowden was involved.  I would like to see that smirk of his whipped off his face though when I do beat it.”

               “I would like to see that as well, ashayam.”

               Jim grinned and leaned forward to kiss Spock. 

* * *

 

               Spock snuggled up behind his mate, cherishing the last few minutes before it was time to get up.  Jim was still asleep so Spock closed his eyes and relished in holding his mate in his arms.  He was about to start kissing his mate awake when he heard the door open and little feet come running in.  Spock internally sighed and mentally nudged Jim to wake him up. 

               _What? M’ tired…let me sleep,_ Jim mentally replied. 

               _Our sons are out of their cribs._

Jim groaned and opened his eyes before turning on his back and staring at the ceiling, “Where are they?”

               “I believe they are pulling clothes out of our dresser.”

               Jim sat up and looked over to the dresser.  Xander and Soren were indeed opening up the bottom drawers and pulling out clothes. Jim turned his head and looked at his husband.

               “They get this from you,” Jim said.

               “They do not.”

               “You mom told me you were a handful as a baby.”

               “I am certain that you were more of a handful than I was, ashayam.”

               Jim laughed and then looked and saw that their sons were now standing beside their bed staring at them with their big brown eyes.

               “Can we help you?” Jim asked as Spock sat up.

               They grinned up at their dads before climbing onto the bed and starting to jump up and down.


	3. Nana, A Study Date, and A Shower

               “Ah! My babies!” Amanda exclaimed when Jim and the twins met her at the Vulcan Embassy a week later.

               Jim chuckled and opened his arms to be hugged by Amanda but she immediately started cooing over the twins instead. Jim shook his head and dropped his arms as he came to stand next to the stroller.

               “Look how big you two have gotten!” Amanda happily fussed.

               “Nana!” Soren and Xander happily exclaimed.

“Amanda, you just saw them at Christmas and in a video chat two days ago.”

               “Oh, hush, Jim.” 

* * *

               “When’s Sarek coming?” Jim asked as they sat on a bench at a nearby park and let the boys play in the sandbox.

               “He had several council meetings, but he promised to be here for the twins’ birthday,” Amanda replied.  “His transport should come in the day before the birthday.  How’s school going?”

               “I got a gold sticker on my last paper,” Jim told in a silly voice.

               Amanda chuckled and lightly hit his shoulder.

               “Everything is good.  Passing all my classes with flying colors.  At the moment, I am really concentrating on beating this one simulation.”

               “Is it the same simulator you’ve been working on the past month or so?”

               Jim nodded, “I hope I beat it this time.”

               “I hope so as well.”

* * *

 

               While Amanda played in the living room with the boys, Jim sat in Spock’s study and typed the final lines of code for his Kobayashi Maru “adjustment.”  He heard the boys let out a squeal and smiled.

               _You home?_ Jim asked his mate through their bond.

               _Affirmative,_ Spock replied. 

               Jim saved his coding and shut down the computer terminal before heading into the living room.  Spock, still in his professor uniform, was sitting on the couch next to his mother as the twins ran over to Jim.

               “Daddy!” Xander exclaimed before pointing to Spock and saying, “Dada!”

               “I see, Xander.  Dada’s here, isn’t he?” Jim responded to his son.

               Xander grinned and then he and Soren ran over to the corner of the room and started going through their toy box.

               “A handful, huh?  Just like Spock was,” Amanda said.

               Spock internally sighed at his mother’s illogicalness.          

               “Yeah, at least there is two of them so that don’t get lonely,” Jim told her before walking over and grabbing up one of his boys.  Soren squealed as Jim held him up and blew a raspberry on his tummy.

* * *

 

               “So, you’ll be there tomorrow, right?” Jim asked Bones as they walked across campus.

               Bones grumbled something under his breath but nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there.  I don’t know why you’re taking that damn thing again.”

               “Just be there, Bonesy.”

               “Don’t call me that, kid.”

               Jim grinned and slapped his friend on the back before turning and walking away.

               “Where are you going?” Bones called after him.

               “Study date with Gaila.”

               “Study date my ass.”

* * *

 

               Jim lounged on Gaila’s dorm room bed and waited for the Orion to come out of the bathroom.  When she did, she was wearing only a bra and panties.

               “Nice, but I am a married man now and you’re not my type,” Jim told her.

               She gave him a look that said ‘no shit’ before saying, “I have a date and was wondering…”

               “If that’s too casual to wear to a restaurant? Yes, it is.”

               Gaila shook her head and then went to her closet and pulled out two dresses.  She stood back in front of him at the foot of the bed and asked, “Which dress?”

               “Wow, you actually putting in an effort for this date.  You usually don’t do that.”

               She shrugged, “Eh, he’s cute and has been asking me out for a few months now.  Seems he not interested in just sex.  Also, Uhura is getting pissed about all the strange people I bring back here.”

               Jim laughed and nodded, “Okay then…well…I have no clue about dresses.  Honestly, Uhura would be better to ask.”

               “You’re a boy.  I want your opinion.”

               Jim chuckled and nodded, “Okay, um…how about the red one?”

               “Really? The red dress with my hair and skin color?  The cadet reds already drive me crazy.”

               “Gaila, I don’t know these things.  Fine, the black one then.”

               “Oh, goodie.  I hoped you’d say the black one.”

               Jim sighed and shook his head as Gaila put the dresses back in the closet.  Jim went to grab his PADD from the side table but it fell onto the floor.  He got off the bed and leaned down on the floor to get it.  It had slid under the bed so Jim laid on his stomach and reached his hand for it as the door to the dorm opened and Uhura walked in.  Jim thought Uhura knew he was there, but when she started undressing out of her cadet reds, Jim knew she didn’t.  He quietly stayed on the floor and hoped she redressed so that he could make his presence known.  

               “I thought you’d be at the lab all night,” Gaila said, glancing to Jim laying on the floor on the other side of her bed before looking back to her friend and roommate.

               “I picked up an emergency transmission from a Klingon prison plant,” Uhura started explaining.  “There was a stolen ship and an escape…” she then paused and looked at the Orion.  “What’s up, Gaila?”

               “Nothing.  Just…tired from all the simulations this week.  Was going to take a nap.”

               Uhura crossed her arms and stared hard at her friend, “Really?  And how are you going to nap with someone under your bed.  I can hear the mouth breather.”

               “Wow, you have crazy good hearing,” Jim said, standing up.  “Seriously good, like Spock good.  Please don’t tell him that Gaila was half naked and I was on her bed.”

               “Kirk! Get out,” Uhura fussed, picking up a nearby robe and putting it around herself. 

               “Yes, ma’am,” Jim said.  He grabbed up his PADD and bag and headed for the door.  Once there he turned back and looked at Gaila, “I’m going to be sending you a message later.  Don’t open it until three tomorrow.”

               “Why?” she asked as Uhura walked up to Jim and started pushing him out the door.

               “Just do it. Please?  Okay, okay, Lucille, I’m going…no need to push me.  You’re going to be there tomorrow, right?”

               “Yes and you’re going to fail. Again,” Uhura said.

               “When I pass it, will you tell me your first name?  It is so not fair that Gaila and my own husband know and I don’t.”

               Uhura merely shook her head.

               “Fine, Aisha.  Oh, and how cool of you to pick up that transmission of a Klingon prison escape.  That’s quite impressive.  When I am captain…” he was then cut off by Uhura shutting the door in his face.

* * *

 

               As soon as Jim entered his apartment and shut the door he was immediately shoved up against it by his Vulcan mate. Jim sighed as Spock started sniffing his neck and growling.

               “Easy there, tiger,” Jim said.  “I was with Gaila.”

               “You reek of her,” Spock growled out.  “Her and a…Bajoran.”

               Jim shook his head and managed to move away from Spock and into the living room.  His mate followed him closely.

               “Gaila must have had sex with a Bajoran recently.  I was sitting on her bed that is why I smell of her.”

               “I do not like it.  Take a shower.”

               Jim chuckled, “I will in a minute. Are the boys in bed?”

               “My mother and I fed them dinner and then put them to bed before she left.”

               Jim nodded and went to the nursery and checked on his sons.  Both were sound asleep so Jim just leaned into their cribs and kissed their foreheads.

* * *

               “Uhura said she picked a transmission from a Klingon prison planet,” Jim called out from the shower.  “That’s pretty cool.”

               “Indeed,” Spock replied, coming into the bathroom and leaning against the counter. “She is at the top of her class in xenolinguistics and communications.”

               “I know.  When I’m captain and we have the Enterprise, she’ll be our Chief Communications Officer.”

               Spock nodded even though Jim couldn’t see him, “And Doctor McCoy will be our Chief Medical Officer, and Sulu will be our helmsman.”

               Jim laughed and opened the shower door.  The water was still going and Spock saw that Jim was wet and soapy.

               “Gaila will be our Chief Computer…person,” Jim said.

               “There is no such person, now please…finish your shower and then come to bed.”

               Jim shook his head and continued saying, “Operations officer then.  All we need now is a navigator and a Chief Engineer.  Need to figure out those positions soon.”

               “As you are not yet Captain of anything, there is no need to figure out those positions just yet.  I will again ask you to please finish your shower and come to bed.”

               “Why?  You’re just going to get me all dirty again.  Just come in the shower and join me.”

               Spock shook his head, “I do not enjoy water showers.”

               Jim pouted at his mate and then ran a hand up and down his soapy chest, “But Spockums don’t you want to help me clean off?”

               Spock’s nose flared as he watched Jim’s hand slide down his chest to his penis and start to stroke himself.  Spock quickly divested himself of his clothes and then joined his illogical mate in the shower.


	4. Kobayashi Maru

               Jim pulled a boot on his foot and then made a silly face at his sons.  They giggled at him before grabbing the other boot and running away with it.

               “Oh, no you two don’t,” Jim called after them.  He got up and chased them into the kitchen where they dropped the boot and laughed as they tried hiding behind their grandmother. Jim smiled at them and put his other boot on.  “They are a handful.”

               “Yes, but so cute,” Amanda replied, reaching down to ruffle their blonde hair.

               “I should be back in about an hour or so.  The simulation usually doesn’t take longer than twenty minutes to complete.  I don’t know where Spock went to, he’s shielding the bond a bit.”

               “I think he said something about work and being home after you.”

               Jim nodded and then knelt down in front of his sons, “Can daddy have a big hug before I leave?”

               Soren and Xander nodded and both walked over to Jim and wrapped their arms around him.  Jim smiled and held them for a few moments before releasing them and standing up.  He grabbed an apple from the counter top and then told his family goodbye and left.

* * *

 

               Jim lounged in the captain’s chair in the simulation room and looked to Uhura as she turned to face him.

               "We are receiving a distress signal from the USS Kobayashi Maru,” Uhura said.  “The ship is stranded and has lost power.  Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them.”

               Jim smirked and then said, “Captain.  Starfleet has ordered us to rescue them…Captain.”

               Uhura internally sighed and restrained herself from groaning before turning away as Bones said, “Klingon vessels have entered the Neutral Zone and are firing on us.”

               “Okay,” Jim responded.

               Bones and Uhura looked at each other before Bones turned to face Jim, “Okay?”

               “Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

* * *

 

               Spock quirked an eyebrow at hearing his mate say ‘don’t worry about it’ as Bowden walked to the observation window.

               “Did he seriously just say that?” Bowden asked before turning to look at Spock. “Is he even trying this time?”

               Spock ignored the other man and looked to a technician’s nearby computer screen to check on the progress of the simulation. Gaila glanced up to Spock and Bowden from across the room before looking at the time.  It was almost three and she promised not to open the message until then.

* * *

 

               “Three more Klingons vessels have appeared,” Bones said.  “They’re targeting the ship, but I guess that isn’t a problem?”

               Jim took out his apple and took a bite of it before replying with, “Nope, no problem.”

               “They are firing, Captain,” a cadet in the simulation told him.

               Jim shrugged and then told Uhura to alert medical to prepare to receive all crew from the damaged ship.

               “We are surrounded by Klingons, Captain,” Uhura replied.  “How do you expect us to rescue them?”

               Jim grinned and turned his chair to face her and said, “Alert medical.”

               Uhura rolled her eyes and did as Jim asked as Bones starting saying, “We’re being hit.  Shields at sixty percent.”

               “Got it.”

               “Should we fire back?”

               Jim took another bite of his apple and then shook his head, “Nah.  We’re good.”

               Bones groaned.

* * *

 

               “He’s not taking his seriously at all,” Bowden fussed, turning from the Observation window and looking to Spock.  “I think we should just end the simulation.”

               Spock shook his head as Gaila saw it was three o’clock.  She opened the message and saw that all it said was, “I’m sorry, please don’t be too mad at me.”

               “What?” she whispered, confused at the message.  Just then something from the message started to upload.  All the computers and screens in the room went black before turning back on. 

               “What the hell was that?” Bowden yelled, looking at all the technicians. “Huh? What happened?”

* * *

 

               Jim smiled as the screens in the simulations came back on as everyone in the room looked puzzled by what just happened.  Uhura shook her head and looked at her computer screen before saying, “We are still being…wait…no…the Klingons have stopped firing.  The Kobayashi Maru is still in distress, though.”

               Jim then stood up from his captain’s chair and said, “Arm photons.  Prepare to fire at the Klingons.”

               Bones grumbled to himself before saying, “Their shields are still up, Jim.”

               “Really?  Check again.”

               Bones sighed before turning back to the screen.  His eyes went wide at what he saw on the screen, “No.  No, their shields are down.”

               “Good.  Then fire on all the enemy ships.  Only one photon each should be fine.  We don’t need to waste ammunition.”

               “Targets locked on all Klingon vessels.  Firing now!” one of the others in the simulation said.

               Jim smiled as the Klingon ships were all destroyed instantly.  His simulation crew looked at their screens, stunned at what just happened.  The people up in the observation deck were just as dumbfounded.

               Jim sat back down and lounged in the chair like he owned it and grinned, “Begin rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew, please.”

                Uhura nodded as Jim continued with, “We have eliminated all enemy ships.  No one on board was injured and rescuing the crew is now underway.  I think this has been a success.”

               Jim then looked up at the observation window and smirked at Bowden standing there with his mouth open in shock.

               “Anything else?” Jim asked him.

               Bowden closed his mouth and clenched his fists before turning and walking right up to Spock.

               “How the hell did he beat the test?” Bowden asked the Vulcan angrily.

               “I do not know,” Spock simply replied before ordering all the technicians to leave the room.

* * *

 

               Jim waited outside for Gaila to apologize for the message.  When she came outside, she glared at Jim, and then continued walking past him.  He sighed and started following her.

               “Gaila, I’m sorry, okay,” Jim said.  “I needed to do that and you are the only one I know who works on the simulation.  I swear you won’t get in trouble.”

               Gaila turned to him, “You do not know that, Jim.  You and I, we’ve both worked out butts off to prove to everyone here that we are more than what we appear to be.  You should’ve told me first, Jim.  I may have helped find you another way to get that thing uploaded without having to use me behind my back.  Bowden is a very good programmer and so is Sp...” she then stopped and shut her mouth.

               “So is who?”

               Gaila shook her head, “Bowden had the room cleared, Jim.  He is going to go through all the lines and codes.  He will find what you did and he will trace it back to my terminal. I’m really mad at you right now. I’ll…I’ll talk to you when I calm down.”

               Jim nodded and watched his friend turn and leave.  He then sighed and headed home.

* * *

 

               “He did this,” Bowden fussed.  “Your husband must have found out you were involved in this and used you to get…” Bowden looked at the code on the computer screen, “this, whatever cheat this is, to upload and allow him to beat the test.”

               Spock ignored his co-worker and went through the code, line by line and then shook his head, “I do not see anything other than a sub-routine adjustment to the simulation.  It is quite creative.  He merely…”

               “Oh, you’re on his side?  He cheats and you stick up for him?  He cannot get away with this, Spock. You of all people have to know that he just can’t accept what the Kobayashi is about.”

               Spock looked to Bowden, “Explain.”

               “His dad gets blown up on the Kelvin trying to save the ship.  This is almost the same thing.  A captain cannot cheat death.  He can’t face the fear of certain death and maintain command of himself and his crew.  He’s not going to be a captain if he can’t accept that.  He can’t cheat his way into being a captain.”              

               Spock put his arms behind his back and clenched his fists, “My husband is not a cheater.  I will have words with him tomorrow.  Goodnight, Professor.” Spock then turned and headed for the exit door.

               “Wait! That’s it?  We need to take this to the Academic Council.  He did cheat.”

               Spock ignored him and kept on walking.

* * *

 

               It was late when Spock entered his apartment.  Jim had tried probing their bond while he had been occupied with Bowden earlier.  The bond and the apartment were both quiet now.  The lights were off as Spock walked through the apartment and into their bedroom where he found Jim in bed asleep. 

               Spock knew that Bowden was partially right about Jim not understanding the test, but he also knew that Jim would make an exceptional captain and do anything to take care of his crew.

                He undressed and put on his pajamas before checking on the twins and then returning to the bedroom.  He got under the covers and cuddled up behind his mate.

               Jim sighed in his sleep and grabbed on of Spock’s hands to hold.


	5. The Test Is A Cheat

               The next morning, Spock woke up and found Jim wasn’t in bed next to him.  He got up and went into the kitchen where Jim was making small pancakes.  The twins were sitting on the floor, having fun pulling out pots and pans from a cabinet.

               “Good morning,” Jim said to his husband.  “You got in late.”

               “I had a meeting,” Spock replied.  “How did your simulation go?”

               Jim smiled, “I beat it.”

               Spock nodded and then opened his mouth to say something when both of their communicators went off.  Spock grabbed his and handed Jim’s to him.  An automated message sounded though the comm saying that an urgent matter needed to be dealt with and all academy cadets and staff were to report to meeting hall 1A at 10AM.

               Jim glanced to the clock on the wall, “We got a couple hours. Can you call your mom and see if she can come over early?”

               Spock nodded.

               “What do you think the meeting is about?”

               “I do not know, t’hy’la.”

* * *

 

               Jim and Spock entered the meeting hall together but then went separate ways to find their seats.  Spock sat with his fellow black uniformed co-workers and Jim sat next to Bones.

               “What’s this about?” Bones asked his friend.

               Jim shrugged, “No clue.  Spock doesn’t even know either.”

               Bones grumbled as the Academy Council members entered he hall and sat at a long table in front of them.  Jim leaned back in his seat as the Academy president, Admiral Barnett, called his name.  Jim looked to Bones as Barnett continued and said for him to step forward.  Jim stood and made his way upfront.  He glanced to Spock on his way there and saw his mate looking at him with an eyebrow arched up.  Through their bond Jim could feel Spock’s own confusion about what was happening.

               “Cadet Kirk,” Barnett started. “Academic immorality will not stand here.  Evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to Starfleet regulation code 17.43.  Is there anything you wish to say before we begin?”

               Jim quickly heard Spock say through their bond that that regulation pertained to cheating.  Jim clenched his fists before saying, “I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly.”

               Admiral Barnett looked to someone seated in the hall and nodded to them.  Jim turned and looked to Spock before seeing Professor Bowden stand up and walk to the other podium.

               “Cadet Kirk, Professor Bowden is one of our most distinguished faculty members.  He has been co-programming the Kobayashi Maru for the last three years.”   

               Jim narrowed his eyes as Bowden smiled at the council and then began talking, “Cadet Kirk, you managed to somehow upload and activate a subroutine in the programming code, thereby changing the conditions and parameters of the test.”

               Jim glanced behind him to Gaila, who was still pissed at him, and then looked back to Bowden and said, “Your point is?”

               Bowden huffed, “You cheated.”

               “Define ‘cheating’?”

               “To deceive by trickery.  Which you did.”

               Jim shook his head, “The subroutine gives you a chance to beat the simulation.  That’s all.  I didn’t know what roll of the dice I’d get with it, it just happened to be that the Klingons shields went down.  The test is rigged, isn’t it?  You and whoever else, programmed it to be unwinnable.”

               Bowden was fuming, “You know who the other programmer is. I believe you used your husband’s computers to implement the hack.  He probably even helped you.”

               Jim was about to respond when Spock suddenly stood up and came down to stand next to Jim.

               “Commander Spock, this does not inv…” Barnett started but Spock interrupted him by saying, “Professor Bowden just made me involved in this.  He just accused me of assisting my spouse in reprogramming my own simulation. Until this moment, Cadet Kirk had no idea that I was the lead programmer.”

_You’re the other programmer?_ Jim asked through their bond.

_Not now, ashayam,_ Spock responded.

               “Commander Spock, you were not at all bothered by Kirk’s actions yesterday,” Bowden said. “You called it ‘impressive’.”

               Spock nodded, “If you had looked carefully at the code, which I advised you to do, you yourself would have seen that Kirk added an adjusted sub-routine to give whoever is taking the test a chance.”

               “A fighting chance,” Jim spoke up.  “Because out there that’s what any captain would have.  This test is…narrow in the possibilities of what could happen and what a captain could do to save their crew.”

“Look, your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario…” Bowden started.

               “I don’t believe in no-win scenarios.”

               “And that is why you’ve failed to understand the purpose of the Kobayashi Maru.”

               “Enlighten me then?  Because I am not missing what the lesson is about. It’s fear, right?  I’m supposed to experience fear of certain death.”

               “Yes, cadet.  The purpose is to experience fear. Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear and maintain command of one's self and one's crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain.”

               “And have you taken the test…Professor?” Jim asked.

               Professor Bowden clenched his fists, “Well…I am merely a professor.  I have no plans to be on a starship so I don’t need to...”

               “Then you can’t say shit about what I’m supposed to feel or not then.”

               “I think you are just upset because your father failed when he was captain for twelve minutes before he was killed.  Even if I was going to be on a starship, I wouldn’t let my narcissism control my decision making.”

               Spock narrowed his eyes at Bowden as Jim nodded, “You think he failed?  He saved the lives of four hundred members of the Kelvin crew including me and my mother before he piloted the ship into whatever the hell was attacking them.  Ensuring that the escape shuttles and pods made it away safely.  That was not a no-win scenario, Professor.  He won.  Out of all the limited options he had, he found one that saved his whole crew.  If the Kobayashi Maru was programmed properly than there would be more options for the captain.  Because it is impossible for a cadet to simultaneously save the Kobayashi Maru, avoid a fight with the Klingons and escape from the neutral zone with the starship intact with the programming there is.  As Commander Spock was saying, I added a code to give whoever is taking the test a fighting chance.”

               Bowden and the hall was silent for a few minutes before Spock looked to the council and said, “I believe Cadet Kirk should be commended for his original thinking.  This morning, before we received word about this meeting, I was planning to send the council a message about Kirk and the test.  I believe we should start to use Jim’s programming ideas in future simulations.”

               Jim looked to his husband and smiled.

               “Oh of course you would say that,” Bowden said.  “You’re his husband.  He cheated.”

               “Professor, I believe you are merely angry and holding a vendetta against Kirk because he shut down your unwanted sexual advances two years ago,” Spock said.

               Barnett looked to Bowden, “Is this true?  Did you make unwanted sexual advances toward Cadet Kirk?”

               Bowden looked startled and tried to speak but ended up stuttering, “Well…I…he…its...um…”

               “Cadet Kirk?  Is what Commander Spock true?” Barnett then asked Jim.

               “Yep,” Jim replied as someone ran into the room and gave Barnett a message.

               “We’ve received a distress call from Vulcan,” Barnett stood and said.  Jim immediately felt Spock’s concern as Barnett continued, “Cadets, report to Shuttle Hangar one immediately.  This hearing is at recess until further notice.”

               Spock immediately left Jim’s side and headed out of the door.


	6. Snorkel and Xanadu

               Jim groaned when his name wasn’t called for a ship assignment.  He went up to the man in the black uniform and asked why.

               “You are on academic suspension, Cadet,” the man told him.  “Until it is lifted, you are grounded.”

               Jim clenched his fists as the man walked away.  He turned to Bones, who looked sorry, before seeing Spock walking a little ways away.  Jim quickly rushed to his mate and grabbed his arm.

               “Hey, they won’t put me on a ship,” Jim told him.  “Can’t you…”

               “You are on academic suspension, Jim,” Spock said.  “I completely disagree with it, but that is what the council has ordered at the moment.  I cannot put you on a ship.”

               Jim stepped closer to him and gave him a puppy dog look, “Please.  Spock, it’s a distress call from Vulcan.  I can help. You know I can help”

               Spock shook his head, “Regulations state that…”

               “Spock!”

               “Jim, I cannot.  I believe it will be in your best interest to go home and be with our sons.  My mother is most likely worried about my father because of their bond.”

               Jim stared at Spock for a few moments before nodded and stepping back from him, “Yeah, fine.  Keep me updated.”

               Spock reached out and held one of Jim’s hands before pulling away and heading towards a shuttle. Jim shook his head and looked down as Uhura came up to them.

               “Did he get you on a ship?” she asked.

               Jim shook his head.

               “That’s…I mean…he…never mind.”

               Jim looked to her, “What, Uhura?”

               “They originally had me on the Farragut, but I talked to Spock and he changed me to the Enterprise.”

               Jim clenched his fists and shut down his bond with Spock in anger, “Of course he did.  You are his favorite student.”

               “Kirk…” Uhura tried but Bones looked at her and shook his head.  She nodded and then walked away from them.

               “Fucking puts her on the Enterprise and not me,” Jim fussed out.

               “Jim, I’m sorry,” Bones said.  “The council will rule in your favor.”

               Jim nodded and looked away, “You…you should go now.  Spock’s right…I should go home to the boys.”

               Bones clapped his friend on the shoulder before turning and walking away.  He got several feet away before he looked back to his friend.  Jim looked so alone and down.  Bones internally cursed the hobgoblin before quickly walking back over to Jim and grabbing his arm.

               “Come with me,” he told Jim before dragging him to the medical bay.  Bones pushes Jim down into a nearby chair before he starts to root through a cabinet.

               “What are you doing?” Jim asks.

               “Are you blocking or shielding or whatever voodoo it is from Spock?”

               Jim nodded as he watched Bones prep a hypospray.

               “Good,” Bones said before jabbing the hypo into Jim’s neck.

               “Fuck! What the hell was that for?”

               “To give you the symptoms for Melvaran mud fleas.”

               “Why?”

               “Shut up.  Now you’re going to lose vision in your left eye.”

               Jim blinked several times, “Yeah, I got that.” Jim went to stand while Bones fussed at him not too.  Jim felt woozy and then pain.

               “What did you do to me?” Jim groaned out.

               “I’m getting you onto the Enterprise you idiot.  Now, you’re also going to get a really bad headache and flopsweat.”

               Jim scrunched up his face as the headache kicked in before Bones grabbed him from the chair and led him to the shuttle.

* * *

 

               “I feel like I’m leaking,” Jim mumbled as Bones pulled him through the Enterprise shuttle bay.  “And not the good leaking after sex with Spock.”

               “Too much information, kid,” Bones grumbled back before seeing Spock up ahead and dragging Jim down another hall way.

               Spock stopped suddenly and sniffed the air.  He quickly looked around before shaking his head and thinking, _Jim would not sneak aboard._  

* * *

 

“I hate you,” Jim whined as Bones brought him into the medbay.  “You’re uninvited to Snorkel and Xanadu’s birthday party.”

               “Soren and Xander,” Bones corrected him before making his friend sit on a biobed.

               “That’s what I said.  I know my daughters’ names.”

               Bones shook his head before preparing another hypo and jabbing Jim with it.

               “Stop it!” Jim fussed at him. “I don’t feel good and my mouth is itchy? What did you give me?”

               “A mild sedative.”

               “No you…” Jim got out before flopping back onto the bed unconscious.

* * *

 

               Spock tried checking his bond with Jim while Sulu prepared the ship for warp. Jim was blocking him but Spock got some discomfort through.  Spock internally sighed.

               _I should have brought him aboard,_ Spock thought.  _However, our sons do need him._

               Spock looked and noticed that the other ships had entered warp but the Enterprise was still stationary.  Spock looked to Sulu before looking to Pike in the captain’s chair.

               “Lieutenant, where is McKenna?” Pike asked Sulu.

               “He as lungworms, sir,” Sulu replied before turning to Pike.  “I’m Hikaru Sulu.”

               “And you are a pilot, right?”

               “Yes sir, very much so.  I’m just…not sure what is wrong here…”

               “Is the parking brake one?”

               Sulu chuckled and shook his head.  He turned back to his station and said, “No, sir.  I just…”

               “Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?” Spock spoke up and asked.

               Sulu narrowed his eyes at the view screen in front of him before tapping at his station screen.  He disengaged the external inertial dampener.  

               “Ready for warp, Captain,” Sulu then said.

               “So the parking brake was on?” Pike asked with a smile.

               Sulu didn’t look back but he nodded, “Yes, sir.”

               Pike laughed and then said, “Punch it.”


	7. Lovers Quarrel On The Bridge

               Jim woke up suddenly when he heard the Russian voice speak through the ships comm system.               

               _Anomaly? Lightning storm?_ Jim thought before Bones came over to him.

               “Dammit, Jim! I told you to…what the…good God!” Bones fussed, his eyes going wide at the sight of Jim’s hands.

               “What?” Jim asked before looking down at his hands.  They were huge. “What the hell?”

               “Shit, you must be allergic to something I gave you.”

               Jim shook his head and then jumped up from the biobed and went over to a video screen and rewound the Russian’s speech.  Bones fussed at him before running a tricorder of Jim.  Jim stopped the video and started playing it again.  He listened as the Russian, Chekov, said there was an anomaly detected in the Neutral Zone and that it appeared to be a lightning storm in space.  Jim’s eyes went wide.  He turned to Bones and batted away the tricorder.

               “Bones, we gotta stop the ship,” Jim told him.

               “I think you may be allergic to…” Bones started but Jim interrupted him by asking, “Uhura is on the ship right?”

               “Yes, but Jim you need the antidote or else…”

               Jim ignored his friend and took off out of the medbay. 

               “Dammit, Jim! The fucking hobgoblin will kill me if you die!” Bones yelled before grabbing up some med stuff and running after Jim.

* * *

 

               Spock closed his eyes and tried checking on Jim, but his mate was still blocking him.  He could feel some anxiousness and panic leaking through. He opened his eyes and looked at the monitors in front of him before hearing the doors to the bridge slid open and footsteps rush in. Spock heard his mate exclaim that they need to stop the ship.        Spock immediately stood up and looked to see Jim, Bones, and Uhura standing near the captain’s chair.

               _Jim, what are you doing here?_ Spock sent his mate.

               “Kirk, what the hell are you doing on board the Enterprise?” Pike asked, his voice raised slightly.

               Spock stood and went to his captain as Bones put himself between them and Jim.

               “He is experiencing a severe reaction to a vaccine,” Bones told them.  “He is delusional and…”

               “Vulcan isn't experiencing a natural disaster, it's being attacked, Sir,” Jim spoke over Bones. “Attacked by Romulans.”

               “Jim…Cadet Kirk,” Pike sighed out before looking to Bones and telling him to report back to medbay.

               Bones nodded and hit Jim with another hypo before leaving the bridge.  Spock stared at his mate, hard, and mentally kept probing their bond.

               “Captain, Kirk is to be considered a stowaway,” Spock looked to Pike and said. “I will remove…”

               “You won’t do anything, Spock,” Jim interrupted before stepping closer to Pike. “Sir, you need to stop the ship…”

               “You are recommending a full stop in the transwarp in the midst of a rescue…”

               “Spock, it’s not a rescue mission. Listen to me! It’s an attack. A Romulan attack.”

               “Based on what facts?  Jim, you are…”

               “Enough!” Pike interrupted the two. “I don’t need a lovers quarrel in the middle of this.  Jim, why do you believe Vulcan is being attacked?”

               Jim looked at his husband and without breaking eye contact said, “Fact: the same anomaly—a lighting storm in space—that we saw today, also occurred on the day of my birth, before a Romulan ship attacked the U.S.S. Kelvin.”

               Jim then broke eye contact with Spock and looked to Pike, “You know that, I read your dissertation.  Sir, another fact is that that ship, which had formidable and advanced weaponry, was never seen or heard from again.  Fact: the Kelvin attack took place on the edge of Klingon space and at eleven hundred hours last night there was an escape from a Klingon prison planet.  The escaped prisoners were Romulans, Sir, and it was reported that they stole a ship from the prison dock.”

               Pike took in the information and nodded before asking, “How do you know of this prison escape?”

               Jim looked to Uhura standing just behind him.

               “Captain, sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself,” Uhura said.  “Kirk’s report is accurate.”

               Jim stepped closer to Pike and told him, “We’re warping into a trap.  There will be Romulans waiting for us, I promise you that.”

               Pike looked to Spock who was still staring at his mate.

               “Mr. Spock?” Pike asked.

               Spock looked away from Jim and nodded to Pike, “The cadet’s logic is sound, Sir, and Lieutenant Uhura is unmatched in xenolinguistics.  We would be wise to accept her conclusion.”

_Accept her conclusion but not mine, huh,_ Jim sent through the block to Spock.  Spock snapped his head to Jim but saw Jim was looking at Pike who was now telling the communications officer to scan Vulcan space for Romulan transmissions.

               “I…Sir, I cannot distinguish the Romulan language from Vulcan,” the officer replied.

               Pike looked to Uhura and asked if she could speak Romulan.

               “Yes, Sir, all three dialects,” Uhura told him.

               “Uhura, relieve the Lieutenant,” Pike said before asking another person to hail the USS Truman.

               Uhura went to the station as Jim looked away from Chris and stood behind the Captain’s chair, still ignoring Spock.  Spock reached a hand out but Jim crossed his arms over his chest. They stood there in silence as Pike, Uhura, and the other officer spoke.

               “The other ships are out of warp,” the other officer spoke up.  “They have arrived at Vulcan, Sir, but we seem to have lost all contact.”

               “Captain, I’m not picking up any Romulan transmission or any other transmission in the area,” Uhura said.  “There seems to be something jamming all communication around Vulcan.”

               “Its because they are being attacked, Captain,” Jim said, looking at Pike. “Please.”

               Pike looked at Jim for a few moments before nodding and turning back to the rest of the bridge, “Shields up. Ready all weapons.”

               Spock stood next to his mate and tried mentally prodding their bond again as Sulu counted down their arrival at Vulcan.

               “Four…three…two…”


	8. Freefall

As soon as the transmission with Nero ended, Jim and Spock turned to Pike and started talking.

“He’ll kill you, going over there is a mistake,” Jim told Pike.

“Your survival is unlikely, Captain,” Spock said. “It would be best to rethink this strategy.”

Pike sighed, “I know.”  He then looked to the bridge and asked for officer who have training in advanced hand-to-hand combat.

Sulu looked around and then raised his hand, “I do, sir.”

Pike nodded, “Good, then come with me.  Kirk, you too…you’re not supposed to be here anymore.”

* * *

 

Pike walked fast through the Enterprise toward the shuttle bay as Sulu, Jim, and Spock followed after.  Spock kept trying to reach out to Jim but his mate was not responding to him.  Spock then tried reaching his hand out to Jim’s.  He had barely touched his mate when Jim yanked his hand away.  Spock pulled his hand back and clenched his fists.

Spock shook his head and tuned into what Pike was saying, “...without transporters, we can’t beam off the ship, can’t assist Vulcan, and can’t do our job.  Mr. Kirk, Mr. Sulu and Mr. Olson will space-jump from the shuttle. You'll have chutes, you'll land on that machine they've lowered into the atmosphere that's scrambling our gear. You’ll get inside, disable that damn thing then beam back to the ship.”

Jim’s eyes went a little wide and he looked to Sulu who looked equally shocked.  Jim also felt Spock’s apprehension at what Pike was telling them.

“Yes, Sir,” Jim said.

Pike nodded, “Mr. Spock, I’m leaving you in command of the ship.  Once we have transport capability and communications back up, you’ll contact Starfleet and report what the hell’s happening here. Something you've got only precious few minutes to figure out. If all else fails, fall back and rendezvous with the fleet in the Laurentian System.”

Jim looked to his mate and, while Spock’s face was blank, Jim could feel a bit more apprehension leaking through.

“Kirk, I'm promoting you to First Officer.”

“What?!” Jim asked, snapping his head back to look at Pike.

“Captain Pike…” Spock tried to object but Pike held his hand up for the Vulcan to stop.

“While I’m gone we need to keep the chain of command.  And based on your work on the Farragut over the summer and everything, you two sure make a swell team.”

Spock blinked, “Captain, I apologize, but the complexities of human pranks escape me.”

Jim snorted at that as Pike said, “It’s not a prank, Spock, and I’m not the Captain.  You are.”

Pike turned and entered the turbolift.  Sulu followed right after but Jim paused a moment and shared a look with his husband.  Jim then looked away and entered the lift.

“Sir, once we knock out that machine...what happens to you?” Jim asked.

Pike glanced to Jim and said, “I guess you’ll have to come and get me.”

Jim nodded as Pike turned to Spock, “Careful with the ship.  She’s brand new.”

Spock quirked an eyebrow at that before nodding.  He looked to Jim as the turbolift doors shut.  Spock turned and headed back to the bridge.   

_Be safe, t’hy’la,_ Spock pushed through their bond. 

* * *

 

Jim eyed his grinning companion in the red shirt, Olson, on the shuttle. 

_We’re about to jump out of this into a freefall and he’s excited,_ Jim thought before shaking his head.  _Fucking idiot._ He then turned to look at Sulu next to him.

“What kinda combat training do you have, Sulu?” Jim asked.

“Fencing,” Sulu replied.

“I know about fencing.  Anything else?”

“Um…just the fencing.”

“Greeeat,” Jim said before looking away.

* * *

 

As the shuttle soared towards the Narada, Jim clenched his fists and closed his eyes.  He focused on his parental bonds with the twins.  They were a comfort to him…both bonds were bright and happy.  He could feel Spock poking their bond, also making sure they were alright.

“Alright, gentleman,” Pike started.  “We’re approaching the drop zone.  You only have one shot to land on the platform.  They may have defenses so pull your shoot as late as possible.”

Jim, Sulu, and Olson stood and got ready.  Pike pressed some buttons and then counted down the pre-jump.  Kirk, Sulu, and the guy in the red suit were slammed hard into the roof of the cargo hold as the gravity shut off.

“Remember, the Enterprise won’t be able to beam you back until you have turned off that drill.  Good luck.”

Pike pulled another control and the shuttle bay doors opened beneath Jim and the others.  They were immediately pulled out and started to freefall toward Vulcan. They broke through the atmosphere, fast, and headed toward the platform.

* * *

 

Back on the bridge, Spock gripped the arm rests of the captain’s chair as he watched the three dots on the screen.

“Away team is entering ze atmosphere,” Chekov announced. “Twenty zousand meters.”

Spock nodded and kept his eyes glued to the blue dot that was Jim. Through the comms with the away team, the bridge started to hear enthusiastic yelling from the red dot.

The dots started to get closer to the target. Spock saw the yellow dot, Sulu, start to slow.

* * *

 

Jim pulled his chute right after Sulu.  They were both jerked, hard, upward as their companion in red zoomed past them. 

“Pull your chute, Olson!” Jim yelled into his comm.

Olson kept going.

“Pull your damn chute!” Sulu yelled.

“Woohoo!” Olson exclaimed as he reached 1,000 meters from the platform.  At that point he did pull his chute but it was too late.

Jim watched with wide-eyes as the red suit body slammed on the platform, bounced off and then was sucked right into the center of the drill of a swirling vortex of plasma light.

* * *

 

“Olson…Olson is gone, Sir,” Chekov announced to the bridge. 

Spock clenched the arms rests tighter as he watched Jim’s blue dot get closer and closer to the target.

* * *

 

Jim hit the platform hard and rolled a bit before his chute started to pull him towards the edge.  He struggled to find a grip and hold on as he managed to hit the button for his chute.  Immediately the chute stopped dragging him and retracted into the pack.  Jim slumped forward a bit then looked to see Sulu heading for the platform.

* * *

 

“Kirk has landed on ze platform,” Spock hears Chekov say to him.

Spock nodded and released his grip of the arm chair and internally sighed in relief.

_Turn off the drill, ashayam, so that we can beam you back,_ Spock forced through the bond.

* * *

 

Jim shook his head at Spock’s thought before standing up in time to see two Romulans appear from a latch in the drill.  Jim rushed towards the Romulans and tackled one as the other fired at Sulu’s shoot. 

Sulu managed to land on the platform and retract his chute as the other Romulan started to advance on him.  Jim punched his Romulan and, in return, got punched back.  He stumbled back and knocked into the other Romulan, causing the big phaser in his hands to drop to the platfrom.  Jim shook off the punch and lunged back at his Romulan and started to fight as Sulu pulled something from this pack.  He grinned at his Romulan as a retractable katana blade unfurled out from the handle he was holding.

The Romulan merely cocked his head to the side before pulling out a slightly bigger blade from behind his back. Sulu advanced on him and they fought…blades swinging at each other. After several moments, Sulu managed to knock his Romulan back onto a grate on the platform and watched as plasma fire erupted from the grate and vaporized the Romulan instantly.

Sulu smiled and then turned to see Jim hanging off the side of the platform as the other Romulan tried stomping on his fingers to get him to fall off.

“Oh, shit,” Sulu whispered under his breath before moving towards them.

* * *

 

Jim could feel Spock’s distress through the bond as the Romulan picked his foot up again to try and stomp on his fingers.  Jim was about to move his hand when a blade went through the Romulan’s chest.  Jim watched Sulu pull the sword out and push the dead Romulan off the side.

“Bout time,” Jim chuckled.  “Help me up so that we can turn off that fucking drill.”

Sulu nodded and helped his friend up.  They stood on the platform and stared at the control panels. 

“Do you know how to work this?” Sulu asked him.

“Nope, but I have a plan,” Jim said before grabbing a Romulan phaser from the platform floor and starting to shoot at the controls.  After a few moments, the drill made a noise and the swirling vortex of plasma light shut off.

“Good plan,” Sulu said.

* * *

 

“Nero,” a Romulan helmsman said, running up to his captain.  “The drill has been sabotaged.”

Nero glared at the helmsman before crying out in rage, “Fuck! Launch the red matter then. Now!”

* * *

 

Jim and Sulu looked up at hearing a noise above them.  They saw something falling from the Narada and watched the pod with the red matter drop passed them and fall towards Vulcan and into hole the drill made.  For several moments nothing happened and then a shockwave blasted upward from the planet’s core.  Jim and Sulu stumbled for a moment before catching their footing.  They shared a confused look before Jim comm’d the Enterprise.

“Kirk to Spo…Enterprise…the Romulans just launched something into the planet!”

* * *

 

Spock stared at the blue dot on the screen that represented Jim.  He then looked to Chekov when he heard the boy suck in a breath.

“Chekov,” Spock said.

“Keptin…Sir…gravitational sensors are off ze scale,” Chekov stated.  “If my calculations are correct, that pod zey launched is…it is creating a singularity…that will consume ze planet.”

Spock’s eyes went slightly wide at hearing that.

_Father,_ Spock thought before saying, “They are creating a black hole…at the center of Vulcan?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“How long does the planet have?”

“Minutes, Sir.  Minutes.”

Spock paused for a moment before Uhura to alert Vulcan Command Center to signal a planet wide evacuation.

“What? Spock?” Uhura questioned, but Spock shook his head and headed for the turbolift.

“Chekov, beam my mate aboard and Sulu. Now,” Spock ordered as the turbolift doors closed.

* * *

 

“Retract the drill, let’s move out,” Nero ordered after seeing the view screens of Vulcan’s destruction. His crew nodded and proceeded to do as ordered. Nero smirked in delight at the scenes before turning and heading to where Captain Pike was.

* * *

 

Jim waited for them to be beamed back. Something was wrong with his mate and Jim needed to get to him.  Jim could feel that Spock was panicked and worried about something other than Jim being still on the platform.  

Just as Jim was about comm the Enterprise again, the platform lurched under him and Sulu.  Jim lost his balance and fell onto the platfrom.  Sulu wasn’t as lucky as Jim saw his friend fall off the side of the platform. 

“Sulu!” Jim yelled before getting up and running.  He jumped the side and started freefalling after his friend.

* * *

 

Spock was almost to the transporter room when he faltered in his steps.  He closed his eyes and then growled.

_You fool!_ Spock thought, knowing his mate was now in freefall towards the planet without a parachute.

Spock quickly rushed into the transporter room and ordered the Chief there to beam them aboard.

“They are moving too fast, Sir,” the transporter Chief said.  “I cannot get a lock on their signal.”

“Get a lock on him now,” Spock growled.

“They are…”

“I can do zat!” Chekov’s voice rang through the comms.

Spock nearly sighed in relief before pushing the transporter chief out of the way for when the young Russian reached them.

* * *

 

Jim closed his eyes and gripped Sulu tight as they fell fast toward Vulcan. 

_Xander…Soren…Spock…_ Jim kept thinking sadly.  _Miss their first birthday…miss everything…_ Jim then stopped when he felt them start to dematerialize.  He and Sulu rematerialized and slamemed down hard on the transporter pad.  Jim groaned and carefully stood up before helping Sulu to his feet.

“Thanks,” Sulu told Kirk.

“Yeah…no problem,” Kirk replied before looking to seeing Spock come toward him.  Jim was about to smile, but stopped when Spock grabbed his arm and pulled him off the transporter pad.  Sulu moved to the side as Spock stood on the pad.

“I am going to the surface,” Spock said.  “Report to medbay.”

“Going to the surface?” Jim questioned. “Are you crazy? Spock, the planet is breaking apart. You can’t…”

“Energize,” Spock interrupted Jim and said before dematerializing.

_Idiot!_ Jim yelled through their bond before turning to Chekov and demanding to be beamed down as well.

“I cannot, Sir,” Chekov said.  “Keptin Spock ordered me not to beam any one down.  Only to beam him, his father, and the Vulcan elder’s back.”

Jim’s eyes went wide. _Sarek._


	9. Safe On Delta Vega

Jim turned to Chekov and said, “Start beaming any lifeforms you can up from the planet.”

“Sir, I…” Chekov tried to say but Jim slammed his hand down on the desk next to him.

“Start beaming. Now.”

Chekov looked at his screen and tapped some buttons before getting a quizzical look on his face.

“Why aren’t you beaming? The planet is being destroyed...”

“Sir, I do not detect any lifeforms other than some animals.”

Jim’s eyes went wide, “What?”

Chekov turned to Jim and looked at him with big eyes, “Sir, besides Keptin Spock and ze council members, I do not detect any humanoid lifeforms of any kind on ze planet.”

“What?”

* * *

 

Spock rematerialized on the surface of Vulcan and immediately saw how his home planet was breaking apart around him. Not far from the cave, a shuttle was stationed with a Vulcan standing just outside the doors.  Spock was about to call to him when he remember his father and then turned and ran toward the opening of the cave.

He ran through the halls and came to the katric ark chamber.  He immediately saw his father and the other members of the high council.

“Spock,” Sarek said, surprised to see his son there.

“The planet is collapsing in on itself.  We must evacuate now,” Spock told them.

Spock nodded to his council members and the immediately went to Spock.  As they quickly moved through the cave hallways, rocks started falling on them. When they managed to exit the cave, some of the council members started to run toward the shuttle.

“Stop!” Spock yelled at them.  “There is no time.”  Spock then took out his communicator and contacted the Enterprise that they were ready to be beamed up. The Vulcan near the shuttle ran to them in time to start being dematerialized.  As the process started, Spock and the Vulcan’s stared off at the destruction happening around them.  All in shock and disbelief that their home…their planet was to be completely gone in a matter of moments.

* * *

 

Jim sighed in relief when Spock and the others were beamed aboard seconds before the planet was completely destroyed.  Jim started toward Spock to hug him, but his mate moved and started to walk past him.

“Hey,” Jim called to him. “We need to talk.”

Spock turned and said, “We do not need to talk, Kirk.”

 _Kirk? Spock, seriously…we need to…_ Jim tried but Spock completely shut down their bond.  A solid steel wall between them.

Jim flinched when that happened and brought a hand up to rub his temple.  Spock ignored him and looked to Sulu and Chekov.

“Sulu, report to med-bay and get checked over,” Spock told him.

“Spock…” Jim tried again but Spock turned and stared at him hard.

“Mister Kirk, report to med-bay as well and then to my quarters where you will stay for the duration of this mission.  You are no longer needed,” Spock said before looking to Chekov. “Report to the bridge.”

“Father, if you and the council member will follow me.  I will show you to med-bay and then find your suitable quarters.”

Spock then turned and walked out of the transporter room, the council members following after him.  Sulu glanced to Jim in slight disbelief before he, too, left the transporter room.  Jim hung his head and was about to leave when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  He looked to see Sarek was there.

Jim gave him a small smile, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Sarek nodded, “What did you wish to speak to Spock about, James?”

“We shouldn’t be going to the Laurentian system.  Its…we need to follow after Nero.  They’re heading for Earth.”

“Keep trying to talk to Spock.  Perhaps he will agree with you.”

Jim shrugged and then winced.

“I believe we should head to the medical bay now, James.”

Jim nodded, “Yeah that would be best.”

* * *

 

After med-bay, Jim sat in Spock’s quarters and stared at the wall in front of him.  He could hear through the ship’s comms, Spock’s speaking. His acting captain’s log stating what Nero had done.  Vulcan was destroyed and that he thought he was a member of an endangered species now.

Jim closed his eyes.  He didn’t know if that was true.  They didn’t find any lifeforms on the planet. Jim shook his head. He knew they needed to go after Nero or Earth would be next.  His sons…Amanda.  Jim opened his eyes.

_We are going to talk, Mr. Spock._

* * *

 

Jim sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge and watched his mate stand over Uhura and confirm that Nero is heading for Earth.

“Earth maybe his next stop, but we should assume that every Federation planet is a target,” Jim said, turning the chair towards Spock.

Spock walked across the bridge and said, “Out of the chair.”

Jim rolled his eyes and got up.  He moved to behind the chair and leaned on the railing there. Bones glanced to him and gave him an apologetic look.  Jim just shrugged and looked to Spock, walking around.

“Nero stated that he wanted to see something,” Spock said. “The destruction of my planet.”

“How the hell did that do that anyway?” Bones questioned.  “When did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?

“The engineering comprehension necessary to create a black hole may be the answer,” Jim spoke up. 

Everyone turned to him. Jim looked at them all and shrugged, “What? I know shit. Look, the technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through space time.”

Spock was about to open his mouth and respond when Bones fussed, “Dammit, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a physicist.  Are you seriously suggesting they’re from the future?”

“If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” Spock responded.

“Okay, then why would an angry Romulan from the future want Pike?” Jim questioned, looking to his mate.

“Captain Pike does not details of Starfleet’s defenses,” Sulu said.

“What we need to do is catch up with that ship.  Disable it, take it over and get Pike back.”

Spock quirked an eyebrow up at his mate’s suggestion before saying, “Captain Pike left us with standing orders, Mr. Kirk…”

 _Stop with the Mr. Kirk,_ Jim thought as Spock continued, “We are to rendezvous with the fleet on the other side of the quadrant.  A rescue attempt would be illogical as we are technologically outmatched in every way.”

“Everything is illogical to you isn’t it, Mr. Spock?” Jim bit back.  Spock looked at him with another quirked eyebrow. 

“Also,” Chekov said, softly, not wanting to really get in the middle of Jim and Spock. “We could not overtake Nero’s ship.  Zey would have to drop out of warp for us to do zat.”

Jim turned to the Russian and said, “What…what about assigning engineering crews to try and boost our warp yield?”

Spock shook his head, “Remaining power and crew are being used to repair radiation leaks on the lower decks and…”

Jim groaned and interrupted his husband, “Okay, okay...”

“…damage to subspace communications, without which we cannot contact Starfleet. We must…”

“…there has got to be some other way then.”

“We must gather with the rest of Starfleet,” Spock finished, looking to his mate. “To balance the terms out our next engagement…”

“There won’t be a next engagement, Spock! By the time we have gathered, it’ll be too late,” Jim stepped closer to his mate and continued. “Spock, you say he’s from the future? Knows what’s about to happen? Then the logical thing to do is be unpredictable.”

“You are assuming that Nero knows how events are predicted to unfold.  On the contrary, Nero’s very presence here has altered the flow of history. Beginning with the Kelvin attack and culminating in the events of today…thereby created a new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party.”

“What?” Bones asked, confused.

“And alternate reality,” Uhura said.

Spock glanced to her and nodded, “Precisely.  Whatever lives we might have lived, if the time continuum was disrupted…our destinies have changed.” 

Jim and Spock stared at each other before Spock turned and headed for the captain’s chair.

“So our sons might never had existed before, huh?” Jim quietly asked. 

Spock momentarily paused in his steps to the chair before continuing on and sitting down.  He looked to Sulu and told him to plot course for the Laurentian system.”

Jim shook his head and went to his mate in the captain’s chair, “Spock, please don’t do that. We cannot run back to the rest of the fleet…it would be a massive waste of time…”

“These are the orders Captain Pike issued before he left the ship…”

“He also ordered us to go back for him! Spock, you’re captain now…”

“I am aware of my responsibilities, Mr. Kirk…”

“Every fucking second we waste, Nero is getting closer to his next target…”

“That is correct. I am in command…”

“I will not allow us to go away from the problem instead of hunting Nero down!” Jim yelled.

Spock narrowed his eyes at Jim and stood up. Jim glared back as Spock calmly said, “Security, escort him out.”

Two security guards approached Jim and grabbed him by his forearms. The guards turned Jim and started to escort him out.  When they were almost to the doors, Jim started to struggle and fight with the guards.  He managed to knock one down as he heard Bones yelling for him to stop.

Jim was about to knock the other one down when he felt someone grab his neck.  Jim then dropped down to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Spock stood over his unconscious mate on the floor before telling the guards to get Jim off the ship.

 _If he will not do as I say, then the safest place for him is off the ship.  I need him to be safe…cannot live without him,_ Spock thought before turning and going back to the chair and sitting down. 

Bones went up to Spock and started fussing, “What the hell is your problem?  He’s your goddamn husband!  The father of your sons and you’re just…kicking him off the ship?”

“Doctor McCoy, I can arrange for you to join him if you wish?” Spock said.  “My mate is safest away from this situation at the moment.”

Bones wanted to ague more, but reluctantly nodded before moving away.

 _Jim being safe is my priority.  The twins’ safety is my priority,_ Spock kept thinking.  _Nero is not heading for Earth at the moment,_  Spock told himself. _We have time to rendezvous with the rest of Starfleet._

* * *

 

Jim groaned as he regain consciousness.  He blinked his eyes open, hoping he was in the brig on the Enterprise but quickly realized that he was wrong.

 _Godfuckingdammit!_ Jim thought.

“Computer, where the hell am I?”

“Current location: Delta Vega,” the computer responded.  “Class M Planet…unsafe.  There is a Starfleet oupost 14 kilometers northwest from your location.  You have been ordered to remain in your pod until retrieved by Starfleet authorities.”

“Fuck that.”

* * *

 

Jim climbed from the pod and up the snow tunnel the pod made when it crash-landed.  He hoped to see some time of civilization when he reached the top and stood up right but there was nothing.  Just snow and ice every which way he looked.

Jim scrunched up his face and nodded, “Yep, totally divorcing his ass.”

* * *

 

Jim had put on the winter clothes in the pod and started his trek towards the Starfleet outpost.  As he walked, he pulled out a communicator and started his own log:

“Jim’s log,” he started saying.  “Stardate 2258.42…three days before Soren and Xander’s first birthday and where am I? Marooned on Delta Vega by my emotionless robot of a husband, Acting Captain Spock. I believe him doing this is in direct violation of security protocol…” Jim then stopped and heard a noise from behind him.  He turned and saw something running towards him.  He squinted and stared before thinking, _Is that a sehlat?  Wonder what a sehlat is doing here?_

As the creature got closer Jim quickly realized something. 

_Not a sehlat!_

He then turned and began running as fast as he could away from the beast chasing him.

_No sex for Spock! Ever! Gonna kill him!_

As the beast got closer, the ground under them cracked and something burst through the ice.  Jim tripped and fell.  He turned to see an even bigger creature ripping apart the one that had been chasing him.

 _No sex. Divorce. Kill him,_ Jim thought before scurrying up and running away from the new creature who decided to chase him now.

* * *

 

Spock sat in the captain’s chair and pulled a PADD out from the side pocket of it.  He knew it was Pike’s immediately because the background was a picture of Pike and the twins.  Jim and Spock had spent Christmas on Vulcan with his parents and Pike had managed to join them short after for New Years.  The picture was Pike sitting on the floor in his parent’s den with the twin’s in his lap.  Pike was in the middle of reading them a story.

 _Jim must have taken this picture,_ Spock thought.  He pulled up the photo application on the PADD and found more pictures of his son’s and Jim.  He taped at the small thumbnail picture and watched the bigger picture fill the screen.  It was him, Jim, and the boys.  Spock was holding Xander and Jim was holding Soren.  They were standing in front of the Christmas tree Jim and his mother had put up. The room was dark except for the lights on the tree illuminating their little family in the picture. 

Spock ran a finger over the image of Jim and the boys.

_I need them to be safe._


	10. Spock Prime

The creature continued after him.  Jim tried running faster but knew he couldn’t keep up the pace for much longer. 

 _I am going to die,_ he thought.  _Going to be fucking eaten by some giant crab thing._

He zeroed in on a cave not too far away and headed towards it. When he entered the cave, he took the first left he got to and hoped he could lose the creature in the vast caverns.  He was about to make another turn when something reached out from the creature’s mouth and grabbed his foot. Jim dropped to the ground and tried to grab on to something, anything to keep from being eaten.

He grabbed a piece of ice and threw it at the creature. While it did hit him, it did not seem to have any effect.  Jim continued to struggle when suddenly someone appeared with a torch and waved the fire in the creature’s face.  The creature released Jim and then slunk away from the fire before turning and running off.

Jim caught his breath, relieved at not being eaten.  He looked to his savior as the person turned around removed his hood.  Jim’s breath caught as he saw a familiar looking older Vulcan staring at him in shock.

“James Tiberius Kirk,” the Vulcan said.  “How…how did you find me?”

“Excuse me?  How do you know my name?” Jim questioned, standing up.

“I have been and always shall be yours, Jim,” the Vulcan said. 

Jim furrowed his brows in confusion and looked at the older Vulcan, “What? Who the hell are you?”

The older Vulcan stepped closer and looked at him as if he was looking into Jim’s soul.  Jim knew he should feel weirded out but he felt like he knew this old Vulcan.  He felt safe.

“Look, Sir, you seem…familiar…but I don’t know you.”

“I am Spock.”

Jim’s eyes went wide, “Bullshit.”

* * *

 

Spock went in search of his father and found him in one of the quarters with the members of the Vulcan High Council.  Sarek saw his son and excused himself from the group before motioning Spock out of the room and down the hall.

“Where is James?” Sarek asked. “I wished to discuss something with him.  He is not in your quarters.”

Spock internally sighed, “My mate was not accepting my orders as Acting Captain.  He became illogical and I had to do what was best for him and the mission.”

Sarek stopped walking and looked to his son, “What did you do?”

“I put him in an escape pod and sent him to Delta Vega to wait.  He will be safer there.”

Sarek’s eyebrows went up, “You believe that your mate would be safe on…Delta Vega?”

“Yes, father.  While I am aware of the carnivorous creatures that reside there, I am certain that members of the Starfleet outpost have safely retrieved him.”

Internally Sarek was trying to decide whether to illogical yell at his son or just to hall off and hit him upside the head.

 _He is behaving illogically,_ Sarek thought.  _Perhaps he is not suitable as Acting Captain at the moment._

“Anyway, Father, I would like to discuss why the High Council have refuted my claim in my acting captain’s log that we are now an endangered species?  The whole planet was destroyed and my estimation is that only 2% of the inhabitants made it off planet while another 7% percent are already residing off planet.”

“Two point nine days ago, a…being came to the planet on an urgent mission.  He informed us to immediately start evacuating the planet. He showed us how to cloak our shuttles and other ships so that we would be able to depart without notice as well as how to use a subspace transporter to transport our people quite long distances to other planets.  We also used cargo transporters to save precious artifacts as well as several important flora and fauna.”

Spock arched a brow in confusion, “How many inhabitants were able to make it off planet?”

“Everyone,” Sarek simply said.

Spock’s eyes went wide at that, “Who was this being?”

“I cannot tell you.”

* * *

 

“Holy shit!” Jim exclaimed with a bright smile on his face. " _You_ managed to help all the Vulcans escape?”

“Indeed, Jim, I did,” Spock Prime informed Jim.

“That explains why we couldn’t pick up any lifeforms on the planet,” Jim said.  He wrapped his arms around him and stared into the fire that he and Spock Prime had made.  Jim then looked up to the Vulcan and asked, “How old are you?”

“One hundred and fifty-seven years old.”

“Wow.  Hey, are our sons still alive?”

Spock Prime raised a brow at the question which made Jim sad.

“Oh…they aren’t,” Jim sighed.

“No, Jim, it is not that.  In my time…my universe, my James and I were not lucky enough to have children of our own.  We met later in life and it took many, many years before we admitted our feelings for one another.”

“I see.  Is he…alive back in your time?”

Spock Prime shook his head, “Negative.  He was lost to me many years ago.”

“I grieve with thee.”

“Thank you.  Now, Jim, what are you doing here?  You should be back on your ship where you belong.”

“My ship?” Jim chuckled before shaking his head. “My Spock marooned me here. He’s captain.”

“That is not right.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.  My own husband.  Well, when this is all over, he and I are going to have a very serious talk about that.  Look, Spock, Pike was taken hostage…”

“By Nero,” Spock Prime interrupted.

Jim nodded, “What do you know about him?”

“He is a troubled Romulan,” Spock Prime said before standing up and walking over to Jim.  He held a hand out to Jim’s meld points and asked, “May I?  It would be easier.  I assure you that I will only show you what happened to cause these events in this day.”

Jim stood up and stepped closer to Spock Prime, “Okay.  Do it.”

Spock Prime gently placed his fingers to Jim’s meld points and then closed his eyes before initiating the meld with Jim.

* * *

 

Spock stopped in the turbo lift and closed his eyes.

 _Someone is touching what is mine,_ Spock thought.  He tried focusing on the bond with Jim but something…someone was blocking him more.  Spock opened his eyes and growled before feeling someone grab his shirt covered wrist.  He turned and saw Uhura had entered the lift behind him and shut the doors.

“Are you okay, Spock?” she asked, stepping closer to him.

“I am well, Nyota,” Spock replied before moving his hand away and reaching to hit the button on the lift to take to the bridge. Spock then froze as Uhura engulfed him in a hug.

“I am so sorry about Vulcan and that you had to send your mate off planet.”

Spock stiffened at the contact.  Besides his mother, sons and Jim, he really did not enjoy being touched in anyway by anyone.  Spock carefully patted the Lieutenant on the back before extracting himself from her and moving to the side.

“Lieutenant Uhura, physical contact is unnecessary at this time,” Spock told her as the door opened.  “Please report to your station.”

Uhura looked at him and nodded before turning and walking out onto the bridge.  Spock closed his eyes but what he had felt was gone.  He shook his head and went onto the bridge.

* * *

 

After Spock Prime had showed Jim what had happened with Nero, Romulus, the Red Matter and a supernova, he broke the meld and Jim stepped back with a gasp. 

“Going…going back in time…you changed all our lives,” Jim said.

“Yes, but remarkably, events within our timelines, characteristics, and people...seem to overlap significantly. Tell me about the rest of the crew? Chekov, Uhura, Sulu?”

Jim nodded, “They’re on the Enterprise.  Don’t know much about the Russian wiz kid, but he’s the navigator.  Uhura is in my class…she’s communications.  Sulu is the helmsman.  You knew them in your time?”

“We were all friends…family.  What of Dr. McCoy?”

Jim smiled, “Was he a grouch in your time?”

“Oh yes.  Was quite fond of saying…’Dammit, Jim’ whenever my Jim would do something reckless.”

Jim laughed, “Yeah, that’s Bones. Hey, how did you get to Vuclan and why are you here on Delta Vega?”

"When I first came through the anomoly, Nero captured me. Told me his plans for revenge for my letting his planet be destroyed. I managed a quick escape after sabotaging his ship. I  headed for Vulcan and warned them. When I let the planet, I headed for Earth but Nero caught up and intercepted me. He put me here on Delta Vega to watch my planet be destroyed."

"I'm sorry."

Spock nodded and then said, "Jim, we must go now.  There’s a Starfleet outpost not far from here.”

Jim nodded and started walking towards Spock Prime.  The Vulcan turned and began to head for the exit of the cave but Jim stopped him.

“Hey…can I…can I ask you something?”

“You may, but I may not be able to answer you.”

“Where you’re from…did I know my father?”

Spock Prime looked at him and nodded, “Yes, Jim.  You often spoke of him as your inspiration for joining Starfleet.”

Jim gave a small smile at that and imagined what that must have been like.  Instead of his father, though, he had Pike in this life.

“He proudly lived to see you become Captain of the Enterprise.  A ship we must return you to as soon as possible.”

Jim smiled bigger and nodded before following after Spock Prime.

 _Well…at least I know Spock keeps his looks when he gets old,_ Jim thought.

* * *

 

“Hey, another question?” Jim asked as he and Spock Prime trudged through the snow towards the outpost.

“Yes, my young Jim,” Spock Prime replied.

Jim smiled and asked, “So, you said you and your Jim never had kids…was he able to?”

Spock glanced to Jim and asked, “Explain.”

“Well how do you think Spock and I have two sons?  Surrogate? Adoption?”

Spock thought about it and then said, “You are able to become pregnant?”

“Yeah, cool huh?  I guess that doesn’t happen in your time?”

“Negative.  No human male or Vulcan male has ever become pregnant.  Jim, how long have you and your husband been together?  You cannot be much older than…twenty-two?”

Jim chuckled, “I turned twenty-five last month.  Spock and I have been married…a year now. We don’t really keep track of our anniversary though since we got bonded and married on different days.”

“How old are your sons then?”

“They will be one year old in a few days.  February 14th.”

“Twins? Fascinating.”

“Yeah, Xander Sarek and Soren George.  I actually got accidently artificially inseminated with Spock’s sperm and ended up pregnant.  Didn’t even know Spock before that happened.  Anyway, he and I got to know each other…fell in love…got married and then the twins arrived.”

“Fascinating.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Look, Jim…” Spock Prime said, pointing to a spot not too far from them.  “The outpost.”

“Oh good.  Let’s hurry and get there because this fucking blizzard it starting up again.”

Spock nodded.

* * *

 

They managed to pry open the door to the outpost and entered the building.  In front of them was a long corridor.  Jim shut the door and pulled off the hood of his winter jacket. 

“Hello!” he called down the corridor. His call echoed down the hall for a few moments before a door near the end opened. A small person came through the door and jogged down the hall towards them. 

Jim’s eyebrows went up when the person…creature got a few feet away and stared up at them.

“Are you the station chief?” Spock Prime asked.

“No.  This way,” the alien creature said before turning and jogging back down the hallway.

Jim and Spock exchanged a look before followed after the creature.

* * *

 

The creature, who finally introduced himself as Keenser, led them to a man lounging back in a chair with his feet propped up on a table filled with space parts.  Keenser went to the man and hit him, causing the man to glare at Keenser before looking to Jim and Spock.

“You realize how unacceptable this is,” the man said with a Scottish accent.

“What?” Jim asked as Spock Prime mumbled a ‘fascinating’ under his breath.

“I’m sure your just doin your job, but could you not have come a wee bit sooner?”

Jim looked at the man confused.

“Six bloody months I’ve been here,” the Scottish man continued. “Livin off Starfleet protein nibs and the promise of a good meal! Don’t think I don’t know exactly what’s going on here, okay? Punishment, isn’t it?  Ongoing…for something that was clearly an accident.”

“You are Montgomery Scott,” Spock Prime said to the Scottish man.

Jim glanced to the Vulcan and then pointed to Mr. Scott, “You know him?”

“Aye, that’s me.  You’re in the right place. Unless there’s another hardworking, equally starved Starfleet officer around.”

“Yeah, me!” Keenser told them.

“Shut it!  You don’t eat hardly anything,” Mr. Scott fussed at his companion before turning back to Jim and Spock Prime.  “I’m talking about real food. You’re here now, so thank you. Where is it?”

“You are the Mr. Scott that postulated the theory of trans-warp beaming?” Spock Prime questioned.

“That’s what I’m talking about! How do you think I wound up here?” Mr. Scott replied. “I got into a little debate with my instructor on the issue of relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel.  He seemed to think that the range of transporting say, a grapefruit, was limited to a few hundred miles…so I told him that not only could I beam the grapefruit from one planet to an adjacent planet in the same system, which is no big deal by the way, I could actually do it with a lifeform! So I tested it on Admiral Archer's prize beagle.”

“Wait…I know that dog.  Hey!  You’re that engineer that beamed Archer’s beagle somewhere?  Has it turned up yet?” Jim asked, amused.

“Um…no…not yet.  I’m sure it will though.  I do feel a wee bit guilty about that.”

“What if I told you that your trans-warp theory was correct,” Spock Prime started.  “That it is indeed possible to beam onto a ship that is traveling at warp speed?”

Mr. Scott blinked at the Vulcan before saying, “I think that if that equation had been discovered, I’d have heard about it.”

“The reason that you haven’t heard of it, Mr. Scott, is because you haven’t discovered it yet.”

Mr. Scott blinked again before shaking his head and standing up.  He looked at Jim and Spock in slight disbelief before asking, “Are you from the future?”

“Yeah, he is,” Jim said.  “I’m not.”

“Well that’s brilliant!  Do they still have sandwiches there?”

* * *

 

After telling Mr. Scott that the future did have sandwiches, Spock Prime asked him to lead them to a shuttle so that he could show them the trans-warp theory.

“She’s a wee bit dodgy,” Mr. Scott told them as they entered the shuttle.  “Shield emitters are totally banjaxed, along with a few other things.”

Spock Prime nodded and went over to a control panel.  He speedily typed out the equations on the panel and then stepped aside to allow Mr. Scott to view it.

“Your equation for achieve trans-warp beaming,” the Vulcan informed him.

Scott looked over the equation for a few moments before his eyes lit up in awe, “Image that!  Never occurred to me to think of space as the part that’s moving.”

“Actually it did occur to you,” Spock Prime informed him before moving back to the console and extrapolating Enterprise’s course.

“Whoa…the Enterprise, huh?   Had its maiden voyage already, has it? She's a well-endowed lady…love to get my hands on her ample nacelles, if you'll pardon the engineering parlance.”

Jim looked away from Mr. Scott and went over to Spock Prime, “Hey, you’re coming with us right?”

“No, Jim that is not my destiny.”

“Your destiny? He…my Spock won’t listen to me. Only you can explain what the hell’s happened.”

“Under no circumstance are you to inform him of my existence. You must promise me this.”

“Spock…you’re telling me that I can’t tell my husband, who is you, that I am falling your own orders? Why the hell not?”

“Jim, this is one rule you cannot break,” Spock Prime told him before reaching a hand out and squeezing Jim’s arm.  “To stop Nero, you alone must take command of your ship.”

“How? Over my husband’s dead body?”

Spock Prime let out a little chuckle, “Preferably not. However there is Starfleet Regulation 619 that states that any command officer who’s emotionally compromised by the mission at hand must resign said command.”

Jim closed his eyes and groaned.  He then opened them and said, “So…I have to emotionally compromise him.  The only way I know how to do that is to offer him sex or give him chocolate.  I can’t do either of those…so what?”

“Jim, my dear young one, my planet has been destroyed.  He most likely thought he would lose his father and if his mother had been on planet, her too.  Now a crazed Romulan is heading towards Earth…towards your children.  I can assure you, he is most definitely emotionally compromised.  Is he still blocking you?”

Jim nodded.

“He _is_ compromised and shutting you out to try and keep what little control he has left.  Get him to show it, on the bridge, in front of everyone.  He will not be able to keep command afterwards.”

Jim nodded again as Mr. Scott came up to them.

“Aye then, laddie,” Mr. Scott said.  “Live or die, let’s get this over with. What’s the cafeteria situation on the Enterprise? Decent food?”

Jim gave Spock a small smile before turning and going to the pad and standing next to Mr. Scott.  Keenser tried coming along but the Scot shooed him away and told him he couldn’t come. Spock Prime went to the control panel and started up the transporter. 

“Hey, Spockums,” Jim said with a grin.  “You know…coming back in time…changing history, that’s cheating.”

Spock Prime chuckled and nodded, “Yes, indeed…a trick I learned from my t’hy’la.”  Spock then held up his hand in a Vulcan salute and told them, “Live Long and prosper.”

Jim smiled as the transporter stared up.  He then thought of something and tried to tell Spock Prime quickly, “Hey! When this is all done and everything is fine…if you end up on Earth in few days, come by the park near the Japanese gardens for the boys’ birth…” Jim trailed off as he dematerialized. 


	11. Emotionally Compromised

On the bridge, an alarm started to flash.  Chekov looked to his console and then said, “Keptin Spock, we’re detecting unauthorized access to a water turbine control board.”

Spock, who was standing with his father behind the Captain’s chair, turned to Chekov and then walked over to his station.

“Bring up video,” Spock told him.

Chekov nodded and brought up the security videos on screen.  He enlarged one and they saw Kirk and another man running through the engineering deck.

_T’hy’la!_ Spock internally screamed. _What? How?_

Spock then narrowed his eyes and moved back to the captain’s chair, “Security, this is the captain. There are intruders in the engineering deck.  Bring them to me…set phasers to stun.”

* * *

 

Jim led a soaking wet Scotty through one corridor after another before a security officer in red blocked their way down one.  Jim groaned before trying to turn back and head the other way but Hendorff stood in their way.

Jim stopped and smiled, “Hey! Cupcake!”

Hendorff narrowed his eyes at Jim and then raised his phaser at him, “Stop calling me that.”

“Sorry, Cupcake.”

“Just…come with us. Now.”

* * *

 

The security officers ushered Jim and Scotty onto the bridge where Spock immediately moved towards them.  Jim looked past his husband and smiled at McCoy and Sarek.

“Hey, I’m back,” Jim said before looking to Spock.  “Bet that makes you angry.”

Spock narrowed his eyes at his husband before looking to Scotty, “Who are you?”

“He’s with me,” Jim told him. Spock snapped his gaze to Jim and then tried to reach him through their bond but Jim was reinforcing the steel wall between them. Nothing getting in or out.

“We are traveling at warp, how did you manage to beam aboard this ship?”

Jim shrugged, “You’re the genius, you figure it out.”

“I am Acting Captain of this vessel, I order you to tell me.”

“Nope. Sorry. I’m not telling. Acting Captain.”

Spock gritted his teeth at that.

Jim smiled and said, “Now that doesn’t frustrate you, does it? My lack of cooperation? That doesn’t make you angry that your mate isn’t…”

“Are you a member of Starfleet?” Spock interrupted Jim and asked Scotty.

“Yeah,” Scotty replied.  “Look, can I get a towel?”

“No. Under penalty of court martial I order you explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp.”

“Don’t answer him,” Jim said to Scotty.

“You will answer me,” Spock ordered.

Scotty looked around the bridge and then between the two husbands, “Um…I’m rather not take sides.”

Spock nodded before saying to the security officers to escort them to the brig.

“What is it about you, Spock?  Your planet was just destroyed? You’re not even upset. If Sarek and the council hadn’t evacuated everyone, you’d be an endangered species.  Hell, I could’ve died during that freefall early and you didn’t so much as blink an eye.”

“If you are presuming that these experiences in any way interfere with my ability to command this ship you are mistaken.”

Jim forced out a laugh and then said, “And yet fear is necessary for command, isn’t it?  I mean…did you see Nero’s huge fucking ship? Did you see what he did?”

“Yes, of course…”

“So are you afraid or aren’t you?”

Spock clenched his fists and tried breaking down the barrier between their bond, “I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion.”

Jim stepped closer to his mate, “Merits of emotion? So I am merely a merit? Our sons?  Do you feel nothing for us?”

“That is not…step away from me Mr. Kirk.”

“Mr. Kirk, huh? Not t’hy’la or ashayam?  What is it like? Not to feel? Anger or heartbreak or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the destruction of your home!”

“Back away.”

_Ashayam stop this.  My control is not…_

“You feel nothing! It must not even compute for you! I’m nothing to you, aren’t I?! Our marriage, bonding? Nothing! Spock, Nero is heading for our sons! Your mother!  You’re running from them!  You feel nothing about them so you don’t care. You don’t love us!”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Spock roared before grabbing Jim and then pinning him to one of the consoles. “I feel very deeply, you infuriating mate of mine!” Spock gripped Jim’s upper arms and kept him pinned as he continued yelling, “You and the boys are everything to me! I am trying to keep you safe!”

“By what? I almost got eaten on Delta Vega!” Jim yelled back, trying to struggle out of Spock’s grip. “Nero is fucking on his way to Earth and you want to waste time and regroup! It’ll be all your fault when your mother dies. When our sons die! You can’t keep us safe! You threw me away at the first chance you got and now you’re doing that again with Earth and our family. Everyone else’s families.”

Spock gripped Jim’s arms tighter. His face green and his eyes heated, distraught and watering.

“Spock,” Sarek said sternly. “Release him.”

Spock shook his head like a petulant child, still keeping his mate pinned.  Jim glanced to Sarek before looking back to his mate and slowing removing some of the block between them.  Immediately Spock surged forward through the small opening.  Jim gasped and felt everything that Spock was feeling.  Anger, hurt, anxiety, nervousness…love and fear…so much fear.  Fear of losing everything…Jim, the boys, his parents. 

“Spock,” Jim said quietly.  “You’re hurting me.”

Spock slowly released his mate and stood up.  He straightened himself and looked around the bridge.  Everyone was eyeing him, stunned.  Spock looked to his father and then glanced away to Bones and put on a face of professionalism.

“Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty.  I hereby relinquish my command on the grounds that I have been…emotionally compromised.  Please not the time and date in the ship’s log,” Spock said before quickly walking off the bridge. Sarek following right after.

Jim rubbed his arms and stood up straight.

“I like this ship!” Scotty exclaimed with a smile to the quiet bridge.  “It’s exciting!  You don’t get lover’s quarrels like that just anywhere.”

Bones shook his head at the new guy before going up to Jim, “Congrats, Jim. Now we’ve got no Captain and no first officer to goddamn replace him.”

Jim merely grinned before walking to the captain’s chair and sitting down, “Yeah we do.”

“What?”

“Pike made him first officer,” Sulu spoke up.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Bones sighed.

“Thanks for the support, Bones,” Jim said as Uhura walked up beside his chair.

He looked up to her as she said, “I sure hope you know what you’re doing…Captain.”

Jim nodded at her and then hit the comm button on the chair, “Attention crew of the Enterprise, this is James Kirk.  Mr. Spock has resigned commission and advanced me to acting captain.  I know you were all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I’m ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Earth. I want all departments at battle stations and ready in ten minutes. Either we’re going down or they are. Kirk out.”

Jim then looked to his bridge crew and saw all were staring at him.

“What?”

“Where the hell did you get trans-warp technology?” Uhura asked.

“Um…it’s complicated.”

“I have a PhD in astrophysics…I think I can handle it,” Sulu spoke up.  “How’d you do it?”

“You vant us to trust you but you von’t tell us the truth?”

Jim sighed, “No, look…Hey! I’m the Captain now. I don’t have to tell you anything.  Now listen, we need to figure out a way to catch up to Nero’s ship.”

Sulu shook his head, “There is not chance of doing that.  They’re gonna be in geosynchronous orbit around Earth in a little less than an hour. We’ll never make it.”

“Even if we could,” McCoy said.  “You can’t just go in guns blazing…not with the technology they have.  That’s suicide.”

“Then we find a way to get on that ship and steal the black hole device away from them,” Jim told them.

* * *

 

Sarek found his son sitting alone on the observation deck.  Spock glanced to him before staring out of the window. Sarek took a seat next to him and waited to see if Spock would start talking first.

He didn’t.

“You must not punish yourself, Spock,” Sarek said.  “Speak your mind.”

“I feel conflicted.  I wanted Jim, my t’hy’la, to be safe. I wanted him off the ship with the boys. I shut down as soon as I heard that there was a distress call from Vulcan.”

“You love your mate and your children.  It is logical to want them to be safe.  We feel very deeply for those we love and our humans sometimes do not realize it.”

“Jim is…illogical.”

“He is, but in this moment he is the best choice for captaining this ship.”

Spock looked to his father with a raised eyebrow.

“I have no doubt that under other circumstances that you would be an exceptionally captain, Spock.”

Spock nodded, “Jim has been right from the beginning.  I was…foolish.”

“When was the last time you meditated?”

“Three point six days.”

“Go meditate and then rejoin your mate on the bridge.  He still needs you.”

Spock stood and went to leave but Sarek reached a hand out and grabbed Spock’s arm.  Spock turned to his father with a raised brow.

“You will always be a child of two worlds.  I am grateful for that. And for you,” Sarek told him.  “You asked me once. Why I married your mother. I married her because I loved her.”

Sarek released Spock and then walked past him and out of the observation deck. Spock heard some approach a moment later and figured it was his father but instead saw Jim standing there.  Spock looked away from his mate.  He was ashamed for grabbing him earlier in anger.

“Stop shutting me out,” Jim said, coming up to him.  Jim stood in front of Spock and reached out to him.  He placed his hand on the nape of Spock’s neck and pulled him close. 

“I am in need of mediation,” Spock softly told him, resting his forehead against Jim’s.

“No shit.  Spock, you know I didn’t mean anything I said on the bridge?” Jim asked as he gently rub his fingers along Spock’s hairline on his nap.

Spock closed his eyes, “I am aware that you only said those things in order to take command.”

Jim smiled, “I know how much you love me.  I know that you love our sons and your mother so much that you thought you were protecting us by shutting me out.”

“I was foolish.”

“Yeah, you were.”

Spock open his eyes and pulled back slightly to see Jim’s big grin, “You are insufferable at times, ashayam.”

“You married me knowing full well how illogical and insufferable I was.”

“You were eight months pregnant at the time, I was almost hoping that the hormones were just exacerbating your behaviors.  I was wrong.”

Jim chuckled, “Just think how Xander and Soren will be when they go through puberty.”

“I do not wish to think of that yet.”

Jim lightly kissed his husband before pulling back, “Go meditate and then report to the bridge.  We’re trying to figure out some strategies for Nero.”

Spock nodded and then left his mate. 

* * *

 

On his way back to the bridge, Jim was stopped by Sarek.

“You met him?” Sarek asked.

“Spock? Yeah he is going to med…”

“Negative. Not _our_ Spock.”

Jim got what Sarek was saying and chuckled, “Oh, yes.  Him. He helped Scotty and I beam aboard the ship.”

Sarek nodded, “I have been in contact with Amanda.  She has tried contacting Starfleet command but is having trouble.  It seems the Enterprise will be their only defense when Nero arrives.”

“Sulu says they’ll be there…maybe in an hour. How are the boys?”

“She says they are well.  She moved them out of the city and to a friend of hers house.  I believe they are napping at the moment.”

Jim smiled, “A nap sounds amazing right now, but strategy session.  Where are the other Vulcans?”

“The evacuation ships move a lot slower than this ship and Nero’s.  The ones beamed off Vulcan are on Andora and Coridan.”

“Good.  Once everything is over, we can plan for them to be moved elsewhere.”

“The High Counsel are already searching for planets that would be suitable.”

Jim nodded and then asked, “Are you…mad about what I said to Spock?  Because I…”

“You need to be Captain, James.  What you said was right to get Spock to become emotionally compromised.  Nothing you said was true, we all know that.  Now, you are needed back on the bridge.  If you require any assistance please let me know.”

Jim smiled, “I will, Sarek.  Thank you.”

Sarek nodded his head to Jim before turning and walking away.

Jim let out a sigh, _Really wish Spock and I could’ve just had sex.  He’s always emotionally compromised by sex._

_Perhaps later, Ashayam.  Right now we need to focus on other things._

Jim shook his head,  _Spock, meditate or else be beamed off the ship to Delta Vega._ _  
_

_I am mediating._

_Good._

 


	12. The Plan

“C’mon, people,” Jim sighed out.  He was standing on the bridge with the crew, Bones standing just next to him with Sulu and Uhura in a semicircle around them.  They were all thinking of possible strategies for catching up with Nero.  “Just one little suggestion.  Anyone?”

“My suggestion is….” Bones tried but Jim gave him a look that said ‘shut up’.

“Look, whatever the case, we need to get aboard that ship undetected,” Jim said.

“We can’t just go in guns blazing, Jim, not with the technology they have.”

“You’ve already said that Bones.  Got anything else to say that would actually be helpful?”

“I gave my suggestion,” Sulu spoke up.

Jim turned to his helmsman, “And I told you the math doesn’t support your suggestion.”

“Well if we used whatever method you used to beam aboard this ship in the middle of warp, then it could possibly work.”

Jim shook his head and went to say something else when he felt someone tapping at his shoulder.

“Keptin Kirk, Keptin Kirk,” Chekov said, tapping nonstop at Jim’s shoulder. “Excuse me, please…could I say somezing?”

Jim moved his shoulder out of the Russian’s reach and turned to him, “Yes, Mr. Chekov.  What is it? You don’t need to ask my permission to speak.”

Chekov nodded and then held out a PADD to Jim, “Based on the Narada’s course from Vulcan, I have projected that Nero will travel past Saturn. Like you said, we need to stay invisible to Nero or he’ll destroy us. If Mr. Scott can get us to warp 4, we could drop out of warp behind one of Saturn's moons, say, Titan, ze magnetic distortion from ze planet's rings will make us invisible to Nero's sensors. From there, as long as ze drill is not actuated, we can beam aboard ze enemy ship.”

Scotty nodded his head at the Russian’s suggestion, “Aye that might work.”

“Wait a minute,” Bones chimed in, looking to Chekov.  “How old are you?”

Chekov looked taken back for a moment before standing up straight and slightly puffed out his chest, “I am seventeen, sir.  How old are you?”

Jim bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as Bones looked at him like Chekov’s age was his fault.

“Oh good. Jim did you hear that?  He’s seventeen.”

“Doctor,” Spock’s voice came from the door of the bridge.  Everyone turned and looked at him as he walked towards them. “Mr. Chekov is correct.  I can confirm his telemetry.”

Jim smiled at seeing his mate and mentally asked, _Feeling better._

 _Yes, t’hy’la,_ Spock responded before saying out loud, “If Mr. Sulu is able to maneuver us into position, I can beam aboard Nero’s ship.”

“Not without me,” Jim said. “We will both go.”

“Captain…”

“Cite regulation and you’ll go to the brig, Mr. Spock,” Jim teased with a smile. 

“You would ignore any regulation I cite.”

Spock’s eyes twinkled in amusement as Jim continued to stare at him until a hand waved in his face. Jim blinked and looked to Bones.

“Stop with the googly eyes,” Bones snapped. “We get it, you two have made up.  You can go make more babies later, but right now…what’s the plan?”

“Spock and I will beam aboard Nero’s ship,” Jim said.  “While Spock is stealing the black hole device, I’ll rescue Pike. Sound good to everyone?"

His crew nodded at him and said, "Yes, Sir."

"Good, now lets get the plan in motion."

* * *

Bones shook his head at seeing Jim and Spock making-out on the transporter pad.  He shook his head and looked to Scotty manning the controls.

Scotty looked back and whispered, “They always like this? Fight and then make-up?”

“Mostly they just make-out, bicker for a while then make-out more.”

“Interesting.  Hey, so that…dark haired girl on the bridge…the communications officer with the pony tail? She seeing anyone?”

“Really? You’re asking…” Bones trailed off as the doors opened and said communications officer walked in. 

She walked up to lip-locked couple and tapped Jim on the back of the head. Jim begrudgingly broke away from his mate and stepped back and looked to Uhura.

“Yes?”

She shook her head at him before turning to Spock and handing him a communicator, “We’ll be monitoring your frequencies.”

“Thank you, Nyota,” Spock said before realizing his mistake. He glanced to Jim out of the corner of his eye and felt amusement and victory coming from his mate.

“Nyota,” Jim repeated with a big Cheshire cat grin on his face.

Uhura glared at Spock before turning and walking out of the room, mumbling under her breath about stupid farm boys and idiotic pointy ears.

“Transporter room,” Sulu voice came over the comm in near Scotty.  “We’re in stable geosynchronous orbit above Titan.”

“Really?” Scotty replied. “Awesome.  Fine job, Mr. Sulu.”

“Are we good, Scotty?” Jim asked, walking from the pad to Scotty. 

Scotty looked to him and nodded, “Unbelievably, sir, yes.”

Jim knelt over the control station and pressed the comm button, “Mr. Sulu, whatever happens, if you think you have the tactical advantage, you fire on that ship even if we’re still onboard.  That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir,” Sulu’s voice came back.

“Otherwise we’ll contact the Enterprise when we’re ready to be beamed back.”

“Good luck.”

Jim went to turn to head back to his spot on the pad when Sulu’s voice came through again, “Can I sit in the chair?”

Jim lightly chuckled and told Scotty to tell him ‘yes’.

Jim then took his place next to Spock on the transporter pad.  He looked to his mate and gave a small smile.

“We’ll both be beaming back here, right?”

“Yes, Captain,” Spock replied, turning his head to look at Jim.  “With Captain Pike.”

Jim nodded and then held out two fingers for a Vulcan kiss.  He felt adoration leak through their bond from Spock’s side as his Vulcan met the kiss with two of his fingers.

“Okay then,” Scotty’s voice interrupted the couple’s moment.  The both turned and looked at the Scotsman, their hands dropping to their sides.  “If there’s any common sense in the design of the enemy ship, I should be putting you somewhere in the cargo bay. Shouldn’t be a soul in sight.”

Jim took in a deep breath before saying, “Energize.”

* * *

 

Jim and Spock did rematerialize in the cargo bay as Scotty said.  But both quickly realized that they were not alone.  They only had a few seconds before the Romulans in the room start attacking.  Jim pulls out his phaser and ducks for cover as he starts firing on the advancing enemy.

Spock ducked behind something before reappearing and grabbing a nearby and tossing him to the ground like he weighed nothing.  Jim poked his head out from his cover and stared with wide-eyes at his mate as Spock took out three Romulans swiftly without using his phaser in his belt. 

 _Wow,_ Jim thought.  _Wonder if he can…_

 _Now is not the time and there is someone approaching behind you,_ Spock broke Jim’s train of thought. 

Jim quickly turned in time to lift his phaser and fire at the approaching Romulan.  The Romulan dropped to the ground, stunned, as Spock came over to Jim.

“Can you meld with him? I’ll cover you.”

Spock nodded and crouched over the stunned Romulan and placed his hand on his meld points. Jim stood over Spock and kept his phaser up and ready for any Romulan that tried approaching.

A Romulan that was hiding nearby, slowly turned around from the Vulcan and human and ran to a nearby control panel.

“Nero, we have Starfleet officers aboard the ship.  One of them is Vulc…” The Romulan stopped speaking as he was hit with phaser fire.  He dropped to the ground stunned as Jim walked over to the control panel.

“How the hell do you work this?” Jim asked himself as Spock came up behind him.

“There is no need to work it, Jim.  I have found out where the black hole device is…and Pike.”

* * *

 

“Petty!” Xander said, standing at the patio door and pointing out at the sky in the distant.  Amanda turned and went over to her grandson and looked to what he was pointing at.  She gasped at seeing in the distance over San Francisco, the drill that her husband had warned her about.

“No, no, Xander,” Amanda said. “Let’s move away from the door.” She took his hand and led him back over to where his brother was sitting and playing with blocks. 

“Daddy? Dada?” Soren asked.

“Your daddy and dada will be home soon.” _I hope._

* * *

 

“They’ve activated the drill,” Chekov announced. 

Uhura sighed, “Communications and transporter are inoperative.”

“Kirk and Spock are on their own now,” Sulu said from where he sat in the Captain’s chair.

* * *

 

Jim followed after his Vulcan as they ran through the cargo bay of the ship.  He mentally giggled at seeing Spock’s bangs bouncing as he ran.

_Really not the time, ashayam._

_Shut up, I can't help it, you’re cute._

The came to a stop in front of a medium sized ship that Jim noted looked like a jellyfish.  Beside it was Pike’s shuttle.  They made their way aboard the jellyfish as Spock commented, “I foresee a complication.”

Spock walked around the ships main room and continued, “The design of their ship is far more advanced than I had anticipated.

Jim went to respond but a computer voice said over them, “Voice print and face recognition analysis enabled. Welcome back, Ambassador Spock.”

Both of Spock’s eyebrows raised as he heard that.  He looked to Jim who shrugged, “Wow, that’s weird.”  Jim then walked passed Spock and over to the main controls of the ship.

“Computer,” Spock said.  ‘What is your manufacturing origin?”

“Stardate 2397, commissioned by the Vulcan Science Academy.”

Spock took in what the computer said and then narrowed his eyes.  He turned and marched up to his mate, “It appears you have been keeping rather important information from me.”

Jim turned to Spock and smiled, “So you’re gonna be able to fly this thing, right?”

“Something tells me I already have.  He touched your mind on Delta Vega, did he not?”

“Who? I have no clue what you’re talking about.  Anyway, good luck.  I will see…” Jim tried to walk away from Spock grabbed his arm and pulled him back.  He growled at his mate.

“He touched you.”

“And now you are touching me. Spock, look…just trust me.  We can talk about this after we’ve saved Earth, our sons and Amanda, alright?”

Spock beat down the possessiveness in him so that he could concentrate on their mission.  He released Jim’s arm and said, “The statistical likelihood that our plan will succeed is less than 4.3%”

“It’ll work.”

“In the event that I do not return, ashayam, please tell Xander and Soren that…” Spock was cut off by Jim grabbing him by his pointy ears and kissing him hard. Before Spock had a chance to kiss back Jim pulled away.

“It will work, Spock.  And when this is all over and done with, you can tell your sons how much you love them at their first birthday which we will all be attending.”

Spock nodded.

Jim gave him a smile and then turned and left the jellyfish ship.  Spock watched his mate depart before turning to the triangular chair and sitting down.  He immediately turned him around to face the controls.

 _Fascinating,_ Spock thought.  He went to touch one of the buttons to start up the ship when he saw a small picture taped off to the side of the controls.  He moved his hand to it and touched it.  It was an older man that resembled Jim, but was possibly thirty to forty years older Spock surmised.  His eyes were a different color from his Jim, though.  The man was wearing a red admirals uniform and was…a little bit bigger than Jim.

 _Fascinating,_ Spock thought again before moving his hand away.  _Doctor McCoy and I should make time to sit and put together healthier food options for Jim after this is over._


	13. Nero Loses and Spock Purrs

Jim left the hangar bay after seeing Spock fly off with the jellyfish.  He held his phaser in front of him as he crept through the Narada in search for the location of Pike. He turned a corner and came around a column and saw him.  Nero.  Standing on narrow walk away platform across from him.

Jim pointed his phaser at him and started saying, “Nero, order your men to disable the drill or el…” when out of nowhere someone hit him upside the head.  Jim fell down hard to the ground, his phaser flying from his hand and over the side of the platform he was on.

“Thank you, Ayel,” Nero said before jumping down from his spot and coming over to Jim and the other Romulan. He stood over Jim, who was splayed out on the ground.  “I know you from Earth’s history.”

Nero then smiled evilly and picked Jim up and then threw him back.  Jim stumbled and fell hard onto the ground again. Jim grunted at the impact and then was immediately grabbed up again by Nero who started punching him in the stomach and across his face.  Jim groaned and grunted and then landed face first onto the ground.

 _I will kill him, t’hy’la,_ Spock said through their bond.

_Just stop the drill, Spock.  I can handle this._

Jim was picked up again but this time Jim punched Nero first.  The Romulan responded with a punch of his own and Jim was knocked back down.

“James T Kirk, right?  He was considered to be a great man,” Nero said, crouching over Jim and wrapping his hands around Jim’s neck. Jim struggled against the Romulan and tried pulling the hands away and pushing the Romulan off of him. Nero glared down at Jim and continued speaking, “He went on to captain the Enterprise, but that was another life. A life I will deprive you of, just like I did your father.  I will take everything from Spock, including you.”

* * *

 

Spock gripped the steering controls and kept himself from turning the jellyfish around and going after Nero for putting his hands on his mate.

 _Jim can handle himself,_ Spock told himself.  _He was advanced combat training.  He has assisted in teaching advanced combat training…_ Spock then felt a small wave of pain come through the bond from Jim. Spock glared at the view screen in front of him. _Nero will pay._

He flew the ship down towards San Francisco and the drill.  He aimed at the cable holding the drill and started firing until the cable broke.  The drill shut off and fell in to bay just missing the Golden Gate Bridge.

 _Back to Nero,_ Spock thought before turning the ship around and flying it back to the Narada.

* * *

 

Jim was close to blacking out as he gripped Nero’s hands that were choking him. He thought of his boys and how much he loved them before hearing someone come over the loud speaker of the ship.

“Captain Nero, the Vulcan ship has been taken and the drill has been destroyed.”

Nero released his hold of Jim and cried out, “SPOCK!”

Jim laid there and caught his breath as Nero moved away from him and jumped to another platform. Jim rolled over and went to stand up when he saw the Romulan, Ayel, staring at him and holding a big phaser.

Jim forced a smile and gave Ayel a small wave, “Just…catching my breath.  So, what’s up?”

* * *

 

“Spock!” Nero yelled when he came on screen on Spock’s ship.  “I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance.”

“I hereby confiscate this illegally obtained ship and order you to surrender your vessel,” Spock responded.  _And then you will pay for harming my mate._ “No terms. No deals.”

“Take out his ship,” Nero called to his crew.

“Sir, the red matter…” A crew member tried to say but Nero yelled over him.

“I want Spock dead now! Kill him while I kill his mate!”

“If you harm my mate, Nero, I will…” Spock stopped talking when his ship notified him of oncoming photon torpedoes.  Spock maneuvered the ships away and then went into warp.

“Follow him!” Nero ordered. 

* * *

 

Jim slowly stood up as Ayel approached.  He glanced to the side and saw a platform several yards down.

 _I can make that,_ Jim thought a split second before turning and jumping.  He didn’t quite make the platform and ended up scrambling for purchase on the smooth floor of the platform to keep from falling off the side.  He tried pulling himself up when Ayel landed on his feet in front of him.

Ayel smiled at him before leaning down and grabbing Jim around the neck and lifting up.  He held him above him and looked him over.

“I do not see the appeal of humans,” Ayel said.  “Your eye color is hideous and your species is even weaker than I expected.”

Ayel gripped Jim’s neck tighter as Jim tried speaking but was unable to.  Ayel chuckled lightly and pulled him closer to him.

“What are you trying to say, human?”  Ayel asked, easing up on his grip of Jim’s neck to allow the human to speak.

“I got your gun,” Jim forced out before grabbing the phaser from Ayel’s side holster and firing at the Romulan. Jim was immediately dropped but managed to grab onto the ledge of the platform and hold on as Ayel’s lifeless body fell forward and off the platform.

Jim managed to pull himself up onto the platform and laid there for a few seconds and caught his breath.

_Where are you?_

_In warp heading towards the Enterprise,_ Spock responded. _The Narada is following like planned._

_I’m heading for Pike now._

_Are you well?_

_Beat up some, but I’m fine._

_Fine has…_

_Don’t say it Spock.  I’ll talk to you again once I get Pike._

Jim got up off the floor and starting running towards were Pike was being kept. 

He found the captain tied to a table with a Romulan guarding over him.  Jim raised his phaser and fired, hitting the guard.  The Romulan fell to the flow as Jim moved to the table.  He put his phaser in his back holster and started undoing Pike’s restraints.

“Jim, what are you doing here?”

“Just following orders,” Jim smiled and replied. He leaned over Pike to unfasten the ties when he felt the phaser pulled from his holster.  He turned his head and saw two Romulan’s approaching before Pike shot them with the phaser. The Romulans fell as Pike slumped back on the table.

“Nice shots.”

“Just…get me outta here kid,” Pike sighed.

Jim nodded and hoisted him up. He grabbed his communicator and called the Enterprise.

“Enterprise! Now!”

* * *

 

Spock dropped out of warp and turned his ship around just as the Narada dropped out behind him.  He steered the ship towards the giant ship, ignoring the ship’s computer telling him that he’s on a collision course.

Nero, on his ship, glared at the view screen showing him Spock’s jellyfish.  He then yelled at his crew to fire everything.  Nero grinned thinking he was about to watch Spock perish when the Enterprise suddenly appeared and fired at the torpedoes heading for the jellyfish. The torpedoes were destroyed as Spock kept his course towards the Narada. Spock felt his mate’s relief at finding Pike and pressed a button on his communicator signaling he was ready to be beamed aboard the Enterprise.

Just as the jellyfish was about collide with the Narada, Spock started to dematerialize.

* * *

 

Jim sighed in relief as he materialized back on the Enterprise with Pike and Spock.  He looked to his mate and smiled at seeing that he was alright.  Spock nodded to him and went and helped him get Pike off the pad and to the waiting stretcher of Bones and a couple nurses.

“Nice job, Scotty,” Jim said.

 “Never beamed two targets from two places onto the same pad before! That was pretty good!” Scotty exclaimed in happiness.

Jim nodded to Scotty and then grabbed Spock’s arm, “We need to get to the bridge.”

“Of course, Captain,” Spock replied.

Jim released Spock’s arm and started walking fast to the bridge with Spock following after him. 

* * *

 

Chekov turned his head at hearing the bridge doors open.  He smiled seeing that Captain Kirk and Commander Spock were back aboard.

“Keptin, then enemy ship is losing power,” Chekov told him.  “Their shields are down, sir.”

Jim moved to the center of the bridge and ordered the Narada hailed.  The viewscreen of the Enterprise showed a black hole in the middle of the Narada.  Half the ship was gone while the other half was slowly being sucked in.

Nero then appeared on the screen.

“This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise,” Jim said. “Your ship is compromised. Too close to the singularity to survive without assistance…which we are willing to provide.”

Spock looked to Jim and then turned his back to Nero and the screen.  Jim turned his head towards his mate as Spock said quietly, “Captain, what are you doing?”

“Showing them compassion.  It may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus. It's logic, Spock, I thought you'd like that.”

“No, not really, not this time.  Besides Nero has made it clear that he stands apart from Romulus.  I do not believe they would even care what happens to Nero.”

Jim shrugged at that and turned back to face the Romulan on the view screen.

Nero glared at them, “I would rather suffer the death of Romulus a thousand times than accept assistance from you and your half breed mate.”

“Shouldn’t’ve said that,” Uhura mumbled to herself as Jim clenched his fist.

“Fine.  You don’t want assistance being saved then we’ll help the singularity destroy you,” Jim told Nero.  He then turned his back on the screen and went to his captain’s chair, “Lock phasers! Fire everything we got at them.”

“Yes, sir,” Sulu said before firing at the Narada.

Spock walked by Jim in the chair and slightly touched his mate’s shoulder before moving to his own station and sitting down.

Jim closed his eyes and then opened them.  The Narada was breaking apart and soon disappeared into the black hole. Jim smiled slightly at the sight.

“Sulu, let’s go home,” Jim then said.  He wanted nothing more than get to his sons now and hold them.

Sulu gave him an affirmative back.  He turned to Enterprise around and tried piloting the ship away but was having trouble.

“Why aren’t we at warp?” Jim questioned.

“We are sir,” Chekov responded.

Jim mentally groaned and then comm’d Scotty, “Kirk to Engineering.  Get us out of here, Scotty.  I don’t like being so close to the singularity.”

“You bet your ass, Captain!” Scotty responded back. 

Jim waited a few moments and tried Scotty again.  

“Captain, we’re caught in the gravity well!  It’s got us!”

“Go to maximum warp then! Push it!”

“I’m givin her all she’s got, Captain!”

Jim heard a crunching noise as the ship was being pulled further into the back hole.  He looked up and saw cracks in the ceiling of the bridge starting to form from the pressure.  Jim gripped the arm rests.

“Scotty! All she’s got isn’t good enough! What else you got?”

“Okay…okay…wait!  If we eject the core and detonate, the blast could be enough to push us away. I can’t promise anything, though!”

“Do it, do it, do it!” Jim yelled at the engineer as the view screen started to crack.

The bridge was silent for a few moments expect for the cracking and the alarms sounding.  Jim closed his eyes and concentrated on his bonds.  Spock was doing the same and he mentally reached out and touched his mate as Jim wrapped himself in the warmness of his parental bonds with Xander and Soren.

Jim opened his eyes in time to feel the explosion behind their ship jerk everyone backwards in the seats.  The force pushed the Enterprise away from the singularity. Sulu worked his station and after a moment the ship was flying safely away.

The bridge crew all sighed in relief and relaxed.  Jim caught his breath that he apparently had been holding and smiled brightly.  He turned his head towards Spock and beamed at him. Spock gave him a small nod and an almost smile which made Jim chuckled and turn back to face the front.  Sulu and Chekov were smiling as well.

“Sulu, can we go home now?” Jim asked.

“Yes sir, but it’s going to take us a couple hours, though.  The ship is kind of limping right now, Sir.”

Jim nodded, “That’s fine.  As long as we get there.”

He then turned to Uhura and asked, “Any contact from Starfleet?”

“Yes, Captain.  There is a ship coming for us and will assist if we need a tow.”

“Alright. Good.  I’m going to med bay to check on Pike.  Spock, you have the con.”

“Aye, Sir,” Spock said, standing from his station and moving to the captain’s chair that Jim was vacating.

* * *

 

Jim entered medbay and saw all the crew that were there and injured.  He sucked in a breath as he saw a crewmember with red hair and green skin laying on a biobed.  He walked over and looked at the Orion, but it wasn’t Gaila.

 _Gaila,_ Jim thought, panicking slightly before Spock calmed him.

_She was on the Antares, yes, but Uhura just got word that she and numerous other crewmembers from the other ships are safe and waiting for Starfleet assistance._

_How? The ships were…_

_Crewmembers were able to be safe in areas that were closed off from any destruction.  Some Vulcan evacuation shuttles are still in the area and providing any assistance they can._

Jim nodded to himself and then asked how the Orion crewmember was. She smiled at him and responded that she was alright.  Jim smiled back and then went over to nurse.

“Is Doctor McCoy around?”

“He is finishing up in surgery with Captain Pike.  You can wait in room 7 for him and I will let him know,” the nurse said.

Jim nodded and then went to the room and sat on the biobed in there.  As he relaxed he became aware of how sore he was. 

“Ugh,” Jim groaned before laying back on the biobed.

“Are you well?” a voice asked from the doorway.

Jim picked his head up and saw Sarek standing there.  Jim sat up and nodded, “Just bruised from having my ass kicked by some Romulans. How are Amanda and the boys?”

“Amanda is well and the boys are napping.”

Jim chuckled, “That’s good.  I’m glad they’re not old enough to know what’s going on.”

“Indeed.  I have been informed that Captain Pike is safe aboard and that we are heading back to Earth.”

“Nero is gone and Pike is in surgery right now. Don’t know how bad his injuries are.”

“I am sure he is in good hands with Doctor McCoy.”

“He is.  Hey, do you think you can ask Amanda to have the boys make Pike a get well card when they get up from their naps?  Chris would like it.”

“She said she will have the boys make one.  You should rest now, James,” Sarek said before turning and leaving the room.  Jim watched the door close before laying back down.  He felt he should go back to the bridge, but Spock could handle things.  He closed his eyes and was about to drift on when he heard the door open, footsteps enter, and then the door closing.

Jim opened his eyes and saw Spock come over to the bed.

“You’re supposed to be…” Jim tried saying but stopped when Spock climbed onto the bed with him and wrapped his arms around him.  “Um…okay.  Really not the best…” Jim trailed off again when he felt Spock start to purr and cuddle him. Jim smiled and leaned against his mate and closed his eyes again.

_Sulu has the con?_

_He enjoys sitting in the captain’s chair._

_He’d make a great captain someday._

_Indeed. Rest, ashayam._

_I was trying to but this big ass Vulcan decided to disrupt me. We’ll see our boys in a few hours.  I really just want to hold them._

_As do I.  Now, please, rest,_ Spock told his mate.  He then nuzzled the back of Jim’s neck and kept the purring going.

_You know, I read something about how cats purr as a way to calm and reassure themselves that everything is alright. Or to tell their human owner or their mother that ‘all is well’.  Is that what you’re doing?_

_._

_._

_._

_Rest, t’hy’la._

Jim chuckled and snuggled back against Spock, his soreness slowly going away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just about done with this story :)  
> Maybe one or two more chapter.


	14. Birthday Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the next to last chapter of this story. Sorry it is up late, but RL got in the way. If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know...I just wrote this in the past couple hours. I wanted to get it up tonight because I need to focus on school and getting the next chapter of The Nanny written.

"My boys!” Jim exclaimed, kneeling down on the ground in the transport station and immediately grabbing his sons into a big hug.  The Enterprise had returned to Earth almost two hours previous but Jim and Spock had been held in conferences with the admiralty.  They gave their reports and more reports and then got lectured and then gave yet another report.  But finally…Jim was holding his sons. 

“Daddy missed you two so much,” Jim cooed.  “So so much.  Don’t know what I’d do without my boys.”

“Indeed,” Spock agreed kneeling down next to him and holding his arms open.  Xander giggled at him and removed himself from his daddy and give his sa-mekh a hug.  Soren soon followed which made Jim pout.

“I was holding them first.”

Spock gave him a look before reaching out and pulling Jim into a hug with him and the boys.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” they heard Amanda fuss at Sarek.

Jim turned his head and saw Amanda was looking over her husband, making sure that he was not injured.

“Amanda, I am well,” Sarek told her as she poked at his chest and then pulled on an ear. “I was not harmed at all during what transpired.”

“If you say so,” Amanda said then turned her attention to Jim. “Now look at you.  You look like you were beaten up.  Spock why does he look like that?”

“Mother, I…”

“And what about you, huh? Are you hurt anywhere?  Let me see.”

Jim chuckled and stood up with Soren in his arms as Spock shook his head.

“Mother, I am uninjured.  Most of Jim’s injuries were taken care of by a nurse while Doctor McCoy was tending to Captain Pike.”

Amanda went to say something but Sarek shushed her and said, “I am needed at the Embassy.  Will you join me?”

Amanda looked at her husband and then nodded, “Yes, of course.” She looked to Jim and then pulled out a big folder paper from the twins’ diaper bag on the ground near her.  “Here is the get well card for Chris.  The boys made a mess of it, but I’m sure he’ll like it.”

“Thank you. Dinner later?” Jim asked.

Amanda and Sarek agreed and then left together.  Jim turned to his husband who was standing up with Xander in his arms.

“Home?” Jim asked.

“I was thinking that we could first visit the hospital and check on Captain Pike.”

Jim smiled, “You just want Bones to check on my injuries the nurse didn’t get to.”

Spock didn’t reply.  Instead he picked up the diaper bag and started walking towards the exit.

* * *

Chris slowly came to and blinked his eyes open to come face to face with a baby. 

“Pawpaw!”

“Pawpaw?” Chris asked confused, before realizing it was one of Jim’s boys sitting on his bed.  He turned his head and saw Jim sitting next to the bed holding onto the almost one year old boy on the bed.

“Morning,” Jim said.

“Morning?  How long have I been out?”

Jim picked his son up and put him into his lap, “All night, actually.  Came by after the Enterprise docked and you weren’t up for visitors. Thought Xander and I would stop by this morning and check on you.”

Chris smiled and nodded and then lifted his hand to press a button to raise his bed up a bit so he could look and talk to Jim better.

“Where’s your husband and Soren?”

“Home with Amanda.  Sarek and the Vulcan High Council are meeting and mediating all day today to figure out where to go next.”

“They need a whole new planet, don’t they?”

Jim sighed and nodded, “Unfortunately, yes. Sarek said they have some prospects though, so that’s good.”

“It is.  How are you Jim?”

Jim smiled, “I’m good.  Had some bruises yesterday but Bones took care of them.  Just a teeny bit sore today.”

“The ship?”

Jim rubbed the back of his head and looked away, “Um…she needs some work done, but she’ll be up and running again in a month I think.”

“She was brand new Jim,” Chris teased. “I leave you and that husband of your in charge for less than six hours and look what you do.”

Jim laughed and nodded, “So, so sorry, Da—Chris. Chris.”

Chris smiled and then remembered the previous day, “How many did we lose?”

Chris didn’t have to elaborate about how many of what because Jim knew what he was asking.  He sat his son down on the floor and the boy ran over to a drawer and started pulling out stuff.

“The exact number isn’t known at the moment. Admiralty is estimating upwards of five hundred, though.  A lot were able to make it into escape pods or to areas of the ship that were sealed off from damaged.”

Chris looked down and nodded.

“Memorial services will start next week. Classes are canceled for the time being.”

“That’s good,” Chris said as Xander ran up to his daddy and presented him with something.

“Here go,” Xander said.

Jim looked to his son and laughed, taking the adult diaper that he had found in one of the drawers from the boy.

“Why thank you, Xander.  Is this for Pawpaw Chris?”

Chris snorted, “Better not be for me.”

Jim grinned and handed it over to Chris anyway.  The older man merely tossed to the side and shook his head. Chris saw something taped to the window and turned to look at it.  He saw a medium sized poster paper covered in scribbles. He chuckled and looked back to Jim.

“From the boys?” he asked.

Jim nodded, “Yeah.  It’s your get well card.”

Chris looked at Xander who had climbed into his daddy’s lap, “Thank you, Xander and tell your brother thank you as well.”

“You can thank them at their birthday in two days.”

Chris sighed, “I don’t think I’m going to be up for that, Jim.  McCoy says I’ll probably need to stay in here for a few more days then be in a wheelchair and need to physical therapy.”

“Shit, that sucks.  You’ll be up walking around in no time, though. Heard they’re making you an admiral.”

Chris laughed, “Yeah, I guess that’s better than a forced retirement.  Bring the boys by though on the fourteenth.  I’ll have Number One bring by the presents I got.”

“Will do,” Jim said, standing up and adjusting Xander on his hip. “Xander, say bye bye PawPaw.”

Xander grinned and then shook his head before hiding it in Jim’s neck.

“Well bye, Chris.  We’ll come back again soon.”

Jim then leaned down and gave Chris a hug.

“Hope the boys have a fun birthday.  Take tons of pictures, okay?” Chris told him, hugging the blonde back.

Jim stood up straight and nodded, “We will definitely take tons of pictures.”

“Bye bye, PawPaw!” Xander then finally said, giving Chris a little wave.

* * *

 

**_First Birthday—Valentine’s Day_ **

Jim smiled as he watched his boys running from one animal enclosure to the next at the zoo.  Amanda was trailing after them, snapping pictures and laughing while Sarek trailed after his wife. Jim cringed when he saw a heart shaped balloon being held by a couple who were obliviously on a date. 

_Can't stand Valentine's Day, but I love my boys._

_Indeed,_ Spock responded. 

“I can’t believe they’re one,” Jim then said to his husband walking beside him. “One year ago they were these little bitty things and now look at them…running all over the place, laughing, talking even.  Time sure flies, huh?”

“Indeed, but it is inevitable, ashayam.  They will grow and so will we.”

Jim thought about Spock’s counterpart and grinned, S _omeone keeps his looks so lucky me._

Spock growl at Jim’s thought, illogically jealous of his counterpart that he had yet to meet.  Jim just chuckled at him so Spock retaliated.

“You get fat,” Spock bluntly said before walking away.  Jim’s jaw dropped and he stopped walking, staring at his mate’s back.

“Excuse me?”

Spock ignored him and picked up both boys.  He took them over to an exhibit for sea lions.  Jim went over to his family and crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his husband.

“Anmal!” Soren exclaimed pointing to the sea lions. 

“I get fat?”

“Who gets fat?” Amanda asked coming over to them with Sarek.

“Big anmal!” Xander agreed with his brother.

Jim looked to his mother-in-law and said, “Your son is being mean to me because all I thought was how his counterpart is still a good looking old guy.”

“Oh, indeed he is,” Amanda agreed. “Quite a handsome man.”

Spock turned an accusing eye to his mother, “You have met him?”

“Of course I have.  Met him two days ago at the Vulcan Embassy.”

Spock growled and turned away and walked his sons over to another exhibit. Jim and his in-laws followed after him.

“How do you know I get fat?  Are you just being mean?”

Spock shook his head, “I saved a picture from my counterpart’s ship of your elder counterpart.  He was most likely forty years older than you in an admiral uniform.”

“And fat?”

Spock internally sighed and turned to his mate, “The man was…bigger than you, but not fat so I apologize.”

“Damn right you apologize,” Jim said before taking Soren from Spock. 

“Fat or not, Spock would still love you, Jim,” Amanda chimed in.

Jim laughed, “Oh, I know that, Amanda.  He couldn’t keep his hands off of me when I was pregnant with the boys.”

Amanda giggled at that while Spock’s ears tinted green.  He took Soren back from Jim and then proceeded to walk away.

“Hey! Stop taking my birthday boys!”

* * *

At the park a few hours later, Spock was wandering back from the hover car after having to put away a couple items when he stopped.  He saw a figure on a hill not too far from where the boys’ party was.  Spock turned and head towards the person and when he got close he said, “Father, why are you up here?”

The person slowly turned to him and said, “I am not our father.”

Spock breath hitched a bit before he growled low.

His counterpart merely gave him an almost smile and chuckled slightly, “You are not pleased that I melded with James on Delta Vega.”

Spock arched a brow in confusion, “How did you…”

“I am essentially you, young one.  I know what makes you growl in such a way and it most always has to do with one Captain James T. Kirk.”

“Fascinating.”

“Indeed.  I was not going to let myself be known to you for this reason.  I am old and have no desire to try and claim your mate so you do not have to growl at me.”

Spock nodded but internally he still wished to growl at Spock Prime.

“Why did you not come aboard the Enterprise with Jim?  You could have explained the truth?”

“Because you needed each other. Opposing yet complimentary opposites. It is a balance between you that often make the impossible, possible. I could not deprive you if the revelation of that you could accomplish together…of a relationship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize.”

“I believe I have realized it…”

“Selik.  Two Spocks would get confusing.”

“Indeed.  Selik.”

“When did your mate tell you of me?”

“He did not inform me of you.  Your ship did and then I inferred that there was another because you touched what is mine. Did you tell Jim not to inform me?”

“I believe he thought that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise,” Selik chuckled.

Spock raised an eyebrow, “You lied to him.”

“I implied.”

Spock looked away, down the hill to his family and friends.  His father was standing with his mother who was holding Soren and bouncing him on her hip.  Jim was chatting with Scotty, McCoy, Chekov and Sulu while Xander was being fawned over by Uhura, Gaila and Christine.

“They are beautiful,” Selik said.  “Soren and Xander, correct?”

“Yes.  Are they familiar to you?”

Selik’s eyes looked sad before he shook his head and reached up to touch a pendent around his neck, “My t’hy’la and I did not have children of our own.  He did have a son, but was not a part of his life for a long time.”

“Who was the other parent of his son?” Spock questioned.

“I should not…”

“Please.”

Selik chuckled, “Carol.  I will only say her name was Carol. Now, I will depart.”

“Jim would like to see you.”

Selik looked down to the party and shook his head, “Another time perhaps.”

“This evening, then,” Spock offered.  “Jim and my mother are making dinner at our apartment.  I will just be family and McCoy.  Please stop by.  I will return your t’hy’la’s picture to you.”

Selik looked to Spock and then nodded, “Dinner would be lovely.”

* * *

When Spock rejoined the party, Jim had the boys sitting on a picnic blanket while everyone gathered around.  Jim looked up and smiled at Gaila who had finally forgiven him for Maru incident. She smiled back and then placed one, small round cake down in front of Xander while Jim put another small cake down in front of Soren. 

Before Jim could have everyone sing Happy Birthday, the boys dove into their cakes.  They got blue and green icing everywhere and it was adorable.

Jim shook his head and chuckled, “Should’ve sung to them before but oh well.”  He stood back up and felt someone wrap their arms around his waist.

 _They’re beautiful, ashal-veh,_ Spock told him.   _Thank you for them._

_Hey if it wasn’t for your little swimmers they wouldn’t be here._

_Yes, but you could have decided to not…_

_I wanted them the moment I found out I was pregnant, Spock._

Spock hugged him tighter and nuzzled the back of Jim’s neck,  _Taluhk nash-veh k'dular._

Jim smiled and leaned back against Spock, “Love you, too.”

“Hey, knock that off,” Bones grumbled at them.  “Don’t need ya’ll making any more babies any time soon.”

Jim laughed as Spock pulled away and Amanda fussed at Bones to not say such things.

* * *

 

“I can’t believe he didn’t show up,” Jim fussed to himself in the kitchen.  He had wanted to introduce Selik to the boys but he never came to the park.   _What if he’s still on Delta Vega?_ Jim thought, his eyes going wide.

“You are being illogical,” Spock said from the other room.

“You’re illogical!” Jim called back.  Amanda laughed at them before focusing back on her dish.

Jim shook his head.  After the park, Jim and Spock had taken the boys to see Chris.  They opened their presents from him and then they came home and napped.  They were up now and playing with their new toys in the living room with their grandpa, dad, and Uncle Bones.

Jim placed a dish into the stove as he heard the doorbell ring.  He wiped his hands off on a dish towel and then headed for the door.  He opened it and then smiled big.

“You’re here!” Jim exclaimed before hugging Spock Prime who was holding a bag in his hand. “Why are you here?”

“Your mate invited me,” Selik said, patting Jim on the back.  He then sighed as Spock came up to them and pulled Jim away with a growl.

“Ignore him,” Jim said.  “C’mon in.  The boys are just in here.  Spock, be a dear and close the door.” Jim then grabbed his husband’s counterpart’s arm and pulled him into the living room. 

“The one in the blue shirt with the red cape is Xander.  Red shirt and blue cape is Soren,” Jim explained.

The boys stopped playing and turned to stair up at the new person. Selik saw the boys’ eyes where like his and gave a smile at the sight.

“Hello,” Selik said to the boys. He then placed the bag he had on the floor before them.  “Happy Birthday.”

Xander and Soren blinked up at Selik before looking at the bag.  Jim squatted down next to his sons and smiled.

“Mr…” Jim started.

“Selik.”

Jim looked to Selik and nodded before turning his attention back to his boys, “Mr. Selik brought you a present.  What is it?”

The boys then grinned and dove for the bag.  They ripped the tissue paper away and pulled out two small toy keyboards.

“Oh how cute,” Amanda said.

Jim shook his head, “More noise making toys…yay.”

The boys smiled and then went to Selik and hugged his legs, “Ank oo!”

Selik patted the boys’ blonde hair and replied, “You’re welcome.”

The boys looked up to the Vulcan and then both said, “Dada!”

Jim, Amanda, and Bones immediately started laughing.  Spock on the other hand…his face went green and he growled at Selik before grabbing up his sons and leaving the room.


	15. Captain and Commander

               Jim moaned as Spock slowly thrust into him, his double-ridged cock brushing against Jim’s prostate.  Since the boys become mobile, it was quite rare that Jim and Spock found time to copulate in the mornings.  They were laying on the bed with Jim’s legs wrapped around his mate’s waist as the Vulcan nuzzled at Jim’s neck.  He lightly kissed and nipped at Jim’s skin. His thrusts slow but deep.

               “Oh, Spock,” Jim sighed with each soft thrust.

               Spock raised his head and stared down at his mate. Spock moved a hand to intertwine with Jim’s and brought it next to Jim’s face on the pillow.  Jim smiled up at him and used his other hand to rest on his cheek, pulling him down for a light kiss. Spock pulled back from the kiss and sucked at Jim’s bottom lip. 

               “Hn...Spock...harder,” Jim moaned demandingly.  Spock nodded before slamming into his mate, forcing himself to go deeper. He kept ramming against Jim’s sweet spot making his mate cry out, his eyes clenching tight and his back arching. Spock leaned his head back down to bite Jim’s neck, one hand still intertwined with his mate’s. Jim’s cock was hard and leaking against their stomachs.

               The Vulcan relished being surrounded by Jim’s delicious body and tight heat.

               “Oh, yes…yes! Spock!” Jim panted as Spock st. He was dizzy with desire.

               “You are beautiful…so beautiful, ashayam,” Spock groaned out as the nails of one of Jim’s hands scratched at his back. Jim opened his bright blue eyes and moaned, staring up at his t’hy’la. Spock felt himself close to climax and he knew his mate was as well. Spock kissed him before pulling back and moving his other hand to Jim’s meld points and initiating a meld…going straight for Jim’s pleasure points.

               “Spock!” Jim cried out as he came, muscles tensing and clenching hard around Spock’s thick cock. Spock grunted, climaxing right after his mate. Spock broke the meld and looked at his mate who was panting and catching his breath. Spock pulled out of his mate and rolled over onto his back.  He took off the condom and deposited into the trashcan beside the bed.

               “What a great way to wake up,” Jim chuckled before turning his head to look at his husband.

               “Indeed.”

               Jim and Spock basked in the afterglow for several moments before they heard light banging on their bedroom door.

               “Dada!”

               “Daddy!”

               “Ake up!”

               “We hungee!”

               Jim ran a hand over this face and laughed, “Perfect timing.”

               Spock nodded and sat up, “I will tend to them while you take a shower.”

               “You sure?” Jim asked, sitting up as well.  Spock got out of bed and went into the bathroom and wiped himself off before pulling on pajama pants and a sweater.

               “I am capable of making breakfast for the twins.”

               “Last time you made breakfast for them you ended up with baby oatmeal all over the kitchen.”

               Spock paused and remembered that event before saying, “I will not make oatmeal then.”

               Jim laughed.  He got out of bed and walked, naked, over to his mate and said, “If you think you can handle it, fine by me.  I am going to go and take a nice, long, hot bath.” Jim then gave Spock a little kiss on the nose before heading into the bathroom.

               Spock shook his head at his illogical mate before going to the door and opening it.  The boys were standing there with big smiles on their faces. Spock raised an eyebrow before sniffing the air and internally sighing.

               _First I need to change their diapers and then make them breakfast.  Perhaps pancakes._

 _Good luck and god speed, Spockums,_ Jim mentally told him.

               _You are illogical,_ Spock retorted before ushering the boys back to their room.

               _Yes I am and so are your sons which is why I said ‘good luck and god speed’._

* * *

 

               Jim reluctantly pulled himself out of the hot bath thirty minutes later and dried off.  He brushed his teeth, got dressed into this cadet reds before brushing his hair exactly how he likes it.  Since he didn’t hear anything from Spock, he figured the Vulcan was doing well with feeding Xander and Soren their breakfast. 

               He left the bedroom and went straight into the kitchen.  His eyes went wide at what he saw.  He had to bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing at seeing the twins sitting in their highchairs, covered in maple syrup with pancakes strewn about on the floor as they munched on the fistfuls of pancakes there were holding. Spock was sitting on the floor beside the stove looking defeated.  He had syrup all over himself as well.

               “What in the world happened here?” Jim asked, lightly laughing.

               “Syrup!” Xander exclaimed, holding out a sticky hand to his daddy. “We sticky now!”

               “Very sticky!” Soren agreed with his brother.

               Jim shook his head and looked to Spock, “T’hy’la?”

               Spock looked up to Jim and shrugged, “I do not know.  One moment I had sat the syrup bottle down to cut up Soren’s pancake and the next moment Xander had the bottle and had squirted it everywhere.  Soren then took the bottle and got the top off and…here I am.”

               Jim went to Spock and patted him on his head which was luckily syrup free, “Wanna go take a nice hot bath?”

               “No, but I would like to spend five minutes in the sonic shower before the Academic Council meeting today.”

               “Shit, that’s today.”

               Spock stood up and nodded, “They will rule in your favor.”

               “They may not…”

               “They will, Jim.”

               Jim smiled at his husband and then gave him a quick kiss before shooing him out of the kitchen to get clean.  Jim then went over to his sons and stood in front of their high chairs.  He put his hands on his hips and gave his boys a stare down.

               “Listen here you little monkeys,” Jim said.  “You both know that it is a no-no to play with your food, right?”

               “Yes,” they both said, looking up at their daddy with their big brown eyes.

               Jim smiled at them, “Good. Now finish your pancakes and then…” Jim stopped mid-sentence as the boys both threw their pancakes at him and hit their daddy in the chest.  Jim looked down and saw his cadet jacket had syrup and pancakes stuck to it.  Jim looked back to his boys and saw that they were giving him their biggest, innocent looking smiles they could muster.

               “Oh you two just wait until your Grammy gets here.  You two are going to be in so much trouble.”

               Soren shook his head as Xander said, “Uh-uh!”

* * *

 

               Two hours later, after Amanda had arrived and the boys were cleaned up, Jim and Spock made their way to campus.  Jim was nervous.  He sort of knew that the council would rule in his favor but doubt kept trickling forward in his mind. What if they didn’t rule in his favor? What if they kicked him out?

               “They will not do that,” Spock assured him as they entered the meeting hall. 

               Jim stopped Spock by grabbing his arm and pulling him to the side, “What if they do? What am I going to do, huh? Be a stay-at-home dad while you gallivant across the galaxy in your own ship?”

               Spock quirked an eyebrow at that before shaking his head, “In the two point seven four percent chance that the council rules against you and kicks you out of Starfleet, then I will resign my commission.  We can apply to admission to the VSA and you can captain one of their science vessels.”

               Jim looked away and thought about it before smiling, “I would be in charge of all Vulcans then, huh?”

               “There are numerous other species in the VSA, but most are Vulcans so yes, you would be in charge of them.”

               “I like the sound of that.”

               “It is appealing, but unfortunately, ashal-veh, that will not happen as the council will rule in your favor.”

               Jim opened his mouth to respond but couldn’t as Bones showed up and grabbed his arm, “C’mon you lovebirds.  Meeting is about to start.”

               Jim waved at his husband as he allowed his friend to pull him to two open seats next to Gaila and Uhura. Jim smiled at his friends and a few moments later, the council members entered.

               All the cadets stood up at attention as Admiral Barnett and the other members stood in front of the table they had been sitting at a few weeks before. Jim glanced to Spock and saw that he was standing in a row just above Bowden who was looking angrily down at the council members. Jim smirked as he heard his name called.

               “This assembly calls Captain James Tiberius Kirk,” Barnett said, looking to Jim. 

               “Captain, huh?” Bones nudged his friend as Jim scooted past him. 

               Jim walked down the steps and went over to stand at attention in front of Barnett. Jim glanced to the side and saw Pike was there in the room in his wheelchair.

               _What is going on?_ Jim thought as he watched a council member had Barnett a box.

               “Your inspirational valor and supreme dedication to your comrades is in keeping with the highest traditions of service and reflect utmost credit to yourself, your crew, and the Federation,” Barnett told Jim with a small smile.  Barnett then opened the box and continued, “For your... unique solution to the Kobayashi Maru, it's my honor to award you with a commendation for original thinking.”

               Jim internally sighed in relief as Barnett pined the medal to his cadet jacket.  Spock almost smiled at seeing his husband receive his commendation.  Bowden, on the other hand, was furious and went to move forward and say something.

               All Bowden got out was, “I obj…” before a pinch was delivered to his neck and he promptly fainted into this seat. Everyone turned and looked but Spock merely shrugged so they all turned their attention back to Barnett and Jim.

               “By Starfleet Order 28455, you are hereby directed to report to Admiral Pike, USS Enterprise, for duty as his relief,” Barnett order Jim.

               Jim beamed inside as he shook Barnett’s hand and then turned and went to Pike.

               He stood at attention and said, “I relieve you, Sir.”

               Pike smiled up at Jim and replied, “I am relieved.”

               “Thank you, Sir.”

               “Congratulations, Captain,” Pike said reaching out his hand to shake Jim’s. “Your father would be proud.”

               Jim then turned to the crowd as they proceeded to clap for him.  Jim made eye contact with Bones who promptly rolled his eyes.  Jim then looked to Spock and saw a small smile on his husband’s face.

               _Wanna play Captain and Commander in bed tonight?_ Jim asked.

               _No._

_I am Captain now, Spock.  Be nice to me._

_Why start now?_

Jim blew a mental raspberry at him.

* * *

 

“A Captain!” Amanda exclaimed later that day, giving Jim a big hug. “We have a Captain in the family!”

               Jim laughed and hugged his mother in law back as Sarek and Selik congratulated him.

               “Mother, I am a Commander,” Spock said. “A title I have held for the past…”

               “I know, I know,” Amanda waved at her son after releasing Jim. “But Jim is a Captain.”

               Spock shook his head at his mother before moving to the couch and sitting down next to Bones.

               “I think we tease him too much,” Jim told Amanda.

               “Most likely we do…but it’s a little bit fun.”

               “Indeed,” Jim agreed then moved over to where his sons were playing with a little kitchen play set they got for their birthday from Uhura.  He squatted down and showed the boys his shiny new medal.  “Look what daddy got.”

               Soren turned to his daddy and stared at the medal then looked to his brother.  Xander looked to Soren and then to their dad before reaching his hand out and snatching the medal off Jim’s jacket.  Soren and Xander then giggled and ran off with the medal to their room.

               “Hey!” Jim fussed before standing up and staring down the hallway where they ran off to.

               Amanda and Bones laughed as Spock’s eyes twinkled in amusement.  Selik covered his mouth to repress a small laugh at how adorable his counterpart and t’hy’la’s sons are.

               Jim shot Spock and Bones a look before saying, “Laugh while you can, but just remember…I have final say on who gets aboard my ship.”

               “I am the first officer and chief science officer, Jim,” Spock replied.

               Jim shrugged, “Are you?  Huh…I don’t remember seeing your application for those positions on my desk.”

               “You don’t have a desk, Jim,” Bones chimed in.

               “I have a desk.  Somewhere.”

* * *

 

**_Two Months Later_ **

Jim smiled and waved at his in-laws as they left the Enterprise hanger for their own ship.  There were going with a group to survey a new home planet for the Vulcans.  It was good timing as Jim, Spock, and the boys were heading out on their first missions on the Enterprise.  Spock had already taken the boys to their quarters where a yeoman was waiting to take care of them.  Jim nodded at some crew members and then sent out a ship wide comm that they were departing in five minutes.

               Jim made his way towards the bridge…his bridge.  He smiled at his crew members.  Scotty was down with Keenser in engineering. Gaila was situated in computers while Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov on the bridge. 

               He stopped just outside the door to the bridge and took a deep breath in as the doors slid open.

               “Thrusters on full,” Sulu said from his station. “Maneuvering thrusters and impulse engines at your command, sir.”

               “Weapons systems and shields on standby,” Chekov chimed in as Uhura turned in chair to look at Jim.

               “Dock Control reports ready, Captain,” she said.

               Jim smiled and nodded at them before walking towards his chair.  He patted Bones on the shoulder as he passed and told him to buckle up.  Bones just rolled his eyes as Jim sat in his chair and comm’d Scotty to see if everything was ready.  He got an affirmative and then heard the man yelling at someone to get down from there. 

               Jim shook his head and turned off the comm before saying to Sulu, “Prepare to engage thrusters.”

               Sulu nodded and turned to his station as the turbolift doors opened and showed Spock standing there. 

               Spock looked to his mate and asked, “Permission to come aboard, Captain?”

               _Love when you call me Captain,_ Jim mentally said before saying out loud, “Permission granted, Mr. Spock.”

               Their friends all rolled their eyes at the two.

               Spock stepped out of the lift and walked to Jim who stood up from his chair and looked at him.

               “How are the mini captain and mini first officer doing?”

               “Down for their naps at the present. As you have yet to select a first officer, respectfully I would like to submit my candidacy.  Should you desire, I can provide character references.”

               Bones turned to the two love birds and asked, “Wait?  He’s not officially the first officer? I thought you two settled that.”

               “They did, Leonard,” Uhura told him.  “I think this is their foreplay.”

               “Hey!” Jim scolded.  “That is not…sort of…maybe…don’t talk about your Captain and Commander that way.  What Spock and I do…I know things, Lieutenant.”

               Uhura gave him an ‘oh really?’ look before saying, “Captain, what things do you know?”

               Jim smirked and walked over to her and whispered, “Green…buzzy things.”

               Uhura’s eyes went wide and she blushed before turning back to her station and muttering an apology.

               “What’s going on?” Bones asked.

               “I do not know and I believe that I do not want to know,” Spock said before moving to his station and sitting down.

               Jim walked away from Uhura and as he passed Spock at his station, he reached a hand out and pinched a tip of a pointy ear.  He felt Spock’s slight annoyance through their bond as he sat down in this captain’s chair.

               “Maneuvering thrusters, Mr. Sulu,” Jim ordered.  “Also, don’t forget to disengage the external inertial dampener.”

               Sulu stiffened in his chair and grumbled under his breath how he’d make Spock pay one day before nodding and double checking that he had, indeed, disengaged what he needed to.

               “Thrusters on standby, Captain,” Sulu responded.

               “Punch it.”

* * *

 

**_Almost One Year Later_ **

               “Hi, Grammy!” Soren said, waving to his grandmother on the view screen.

               “Hi!” Xander chimed in, waving at Amanda as well.

               They were sitting in the captain’s quarters on their daddy’s lap as Jim sat in a chair in front of the computer terminal they had in the room.

               “Hello, my boys!” Amanda replied, waving at them.  “I can’t wait to see you all in three weeks.”

               “Can’t wait to come to New Vulcan finally,” Jim said. “Boys, tell Grammy how old you’re going to be next week.”

               “Two!” The boys said.

               “Can you show her how many fingers?”

               The boys giggled and then each held up two fingers. Amanda smiled at the sight, “My boys are getting so big.”

               “They are.”

               “Where’s Spock?”

               “Tucked away in the science labs.  He made a break through on a cold fusion thing he’s been working on for months. He sends his regards though.”

               “Tell him I love him. Three more weeks, huh?”

               Jim smiled and let the boys off his lap so they could go play with their toys, “Yep.  We are all so happy to get some much needed shore leave after that debacle with Mudd last month.”

               “Where are you all headed at the moment?”

               Jim looked to his PADD on the desktop and pulled up the new mission briefing.  He skimmed through it and then looked back to his mother-in-law, “M-class planet called Nibiru. Homeworld to a primitive, pre-warp species called the Nibirans.  We are to survey only.  Can’t break that lovely prime directive, can we?”

               “No we cannot,” Spock said from the doorway of the room. 

               Jim chuckled and shook his head as Spock came over and stood behind him, “Hello, mother.”

               “All done in your science lab?” she asked with a smile.

               “At the moment, yes.  The boys are quite excited to see you and father in three weeks.  How is the colony doing on New Vulcan?”

               “Its great and its so nice to have Selik here.”

               Spock’s eye twitched at that.  The Vulcan then turned and moved away from the computer terminal.

               “He’s still a bit touchy about the boys’ other dada,” Jim teased.  He saw Spock give him a look so he chuckled and said goodbye to Amanda who was laughing.  He turned off the terminal and then stood up and stretched.

               “I love you, you know,” Jim said to his mate.

               “I love you as well, but cease speaking of Selik in such a way.  I am Xander and Soren’s…”

               Jim went to his mate and put a finger to his lips and shushed him, “You are their one and only father, Spock. I know.  It’s just so fun teasing you.  I’m sorry.”

               Spock lightly kissed Jim’s finger before saying, “It is also not ideal to make light of the Prime Directive, ashayam.”

               Jim sighed and nodded, “I know, Spock. I’m not an idiot.  I know very well that letting a pre-warp species see us or our weapons and ship is very bad.  I would never break the Prime Directive.”

               “Neither would I.”

               Jim smiled and gave Spock a Vulcan kiss before turning to their sons who had somehow found finger paint and were making a masterpiece on the bulkhead, “The little monsters will be two soon.”

               “Indeed.”

               “Terrible twos, Spock.”

               “Indeed.”

               Jim leaned against his mate and smiled.  Spock put his arm around his mate and kissed the side of his head.  They both stood there for a few moments and just watched their sons playing happily together with the paint.

               .

               .

               .

               The twins then turned and looked at their parents.  They then looked at each other and then back to Jim and Spock. 

               Jim and Spock immediately noticed the little twinkle of something in their boys’ eyes. 

               “Don’t you…” Jim tried to get out as Spock tried saying, “Do not…”

               Too late.  The boys had each flung paint at their parents, hitting them in the chest and a little on their faces. Xander and Soren laughed before running into their parent’s room and getting onto the bed.  Paint smearing all over the comforter as Spock and Jim stood where they were in the living room area.

               “Spock?”

               “Yes, ashayam?”

               “No. More. Kids.”

               “Affirmative.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All done! For now! I do plan on another story with Khan appearing as hinted in the last part of this chapter ^-^  
> Hope you enjoyed this!


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